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REPORT 


ON   THE 


COTTON  PRODUCTION  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA, 


WITH   A  DISCUSSION   OF 


THE  GENERAL  AGRICULTURAL  FEATURES  OF  THE  STATE. 


EY 


W.  C.  EERR,  IPs:.  ID., 

STATE    GEOLOGIST,    AND    SPECIAL    CENSUS    AGENT. 


1 

527 


TABLE    OF    CONTENTS. 


o 

CO 


r 


Page. 

Letters  of  Transmittal .' v 

Tabulated  Results  of  the  Enumeration - : 1-6 

Table    I. — Area,  Population,  Tilled  Laud,  and  Cotton  Production 3,4 

Table  II. — Acreage  and  Production  of  Leading  Crops  5,6 

PART  I. 

Piiysico-Geographical  a^td  Agricultural  Description  of  North  Carolina 7-25 

Outlines  of  the  Physical  Geography  of  the  State 9-25 

General  Topography 9 

Topographical  Divisions • -  9, 10 

Eastern  Division 10 

Midland  Division - 10 

Piedmont  Division 10 

Mountain  Division 10 

Climate 10,11 

Geological  Features .' 11, 12 

Agricultural  Regions '. 12 

The  Sea-board  Region ~. 1 2-15 

The  Long-Leaf  Pine  Region 15-18 

Sand  Pine  Barrens 16 

Level  and  Rolling  Upland  Piny  Woods 16 

Pine  Flats 16 

Oat  Uplands  Region 1.3-20 

Tnaismontane  Region 20 

General  Remarks  on  Cotton  Production  in  North  Carolina 21-23 

Table  III. — Population  and  Cotton  Production  in  each  Agricultural  Region  of  the  State 21 

Table  IV. — ••  Banner  Counties,"  as  regards  Total  Production  and  Product  Per  Acre,  in  each  Agricultural  Region 21 

Comparison  of  the  Agricultural  Regions 21,22 

Fertilizers 22,23 

Table  of  Analyses  of  Soils  and  Subsoils 24,25 

PART  II. 

Agricultural  Descriptions  of  the  Counties  of  North  Carolina 27-70 

Sea-board  Region 29-38 

Long-leaf  Pine  Region 39-49 

Oak  Uplands  or  Metamorphic  Region 50-65 

Transmontaue  Region „ 65-70 

PART  III. 

Cultural  and  Economic  Details  of  Cotton  Production 71-78 

Reference  List  of  Names  and  Addresses  of  Correspondents 72 

Summary  of  Answers  to  Schedule  Questions 73-78 

Tillage,  Improvement,  etc 73 

Planting  and  Cultivation  of  Cotton 74,  75 

Ginning,  Baling,  and  Shipping 75 

Diseases,  Insect  Enemies,  etc 76 

Labor  and  System  of  Farming /  76-78 


\j-  MAPS  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

[fl        Agricultural  Map  of  North  Carolina 3 

Map  SHOWING  the  Relation  Between  Ap.ea  Planted  in  Cotton  and  the  Total  Area 21 

Section  from  State  Line  at  Fp.ENcn  Broad  Water-Gap  to  Sea-Level  at  New  Berne  q 

iii 
34   C   P— VOL.    II  529 


LETTERS    OF    TRANSMITTAL. 


Berkeley,  California,  May  31,  1S83. 
To  the  Superintendent  of  Census. 

Dear  Sir:  I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  a  report  on  the  cotton  production  and  agricultural  features 
of  the  state  of  Xorth  Carolina,  by  Professor  W.  C.  Kerr,  special  agent  in  charge  of  the  subject  for  the  state. 

Professor  Kerr's  long-continued  connection  with  the  geological  and  agricultural  survey,  as  well  as  with  the 

agricultural  experiment  station  and  board  of  agriculture  of  his  state,  imparts  to  his  presentation  of  its  natural 

features  and  most  important  agricultural  industry  an  unusually  authoritative  character,  from  a  thoroughness  of 

personal  knowledge  that  also  finds  expression  in  the  brevity  and  terseness  of  his  descriptions.     While  a  portion  of 

the  matter  has  already  been  given  to  the  public  in  state  publications,  yet  in  its  present  complete  and  unified  form 

this  report  will  convey  so  many  more  definite  and  connected  impressions  of  the  natural  and  industrial  characteristics 

of  ISorth  Carolina  as  to  render  it  of  great  interest  both  to  the  general  reader,  the  student,  and  to  those  directly 

interested  in  industrial  pursuits. 

Very  respectfully, 

EUG.  W.  HILGAED, 

Special  Agent  in  charge  of  Cotton  Production. 


Professor  Eugene  W.  Hilgard, 

Special  Agent  in  charge  of  Cotton  Production. 
Dear  Sir  :  I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  my  report  on  the  cotton  production  of  Xorth  Carolina.    You 
will  observe  that  I  have  followed  closely  the  model  of  your  Louisiana  report,  giving : 

(1)  Tables  of  acreage  and  production  of  leading  crops. 

(2)  A  description  of  the  physical  geography. 

(3)  A  description  of  the  agricultural  regions. 

(4)  General  discussion  of  cotton  production  aud  culture. 

(5)  Description  of  the  counties  in  the  several  agricultural  regions. 

(6)  Abstracts  of  the  schedules  of  cotton  production  appended  to  each  description. 

(7)  Abstracts  of  schedule  answers  to  questions  regarding  cultivation,  markets,  diseases,  etc. 
The  sources  of  information  for  this  paper  are — 

(1)  For  the  topography  and  geology,  personal  notes  of  observations  throughout  the  state. 

(2)  For  climate,  tri-daily  observations  made  under  the  direction  of  the  state  geological  survey  at  about  thirty 
stations  during  the  last  twelve  years,  and  publications  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution  and  of  the  signal  service. 

(3)  For  soils,  forests,  and  other  agricultural  data:  first,  personal  notes  of  observations  in  prosecution  of  the 
geological  survey  in  every  county  of  the  state,  liuffin's  Sketches  of  Eastern  North  Carolina,  and  Emmons'  Swamp 
Lands;  second,  maps  of  the  state  laud  surveys,  chiefly  of  the  public  swamp  lands;  third,  unpublished  maps  of 
numerous  railroad  surveys;  and  fourth,  the  answered  schedules  of  questions,  from  which  some  details  have  been 
obtained  for  parts  of  a  few  counties. 

The  analyses  of  soils  given  in  the  text  were  made  in  part  for  the  Census  Office  by  Messrs.  J.  B.  Durrett,  C. 

Cory,  H.  McC  alley,  and  B.  H.  Loughridge  at  the  University  of  Alabama,  and  in  part  for  the  state  geological  survey 

by  Messrs.  C.  H.  Bogardus,  of  the  Xew  Jersey  survey,  and  G.  B.  Hanna,  assayer  of  the  United  States  mint  at 

Charleston. 

Verv  respectfullv,  yours, 

W.  C.  KERR. 

V 

531 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://www.archive.org/details/reportoncottonprOOkerr 


TABULATED  RESULTS  OF  THE  ENUMERATION. 


Table    I.— AREA,  POPULATION".  TILLED  LAND,  AND  COTTON  PRODUCTION. 
Table  II.— ACREAGE  AND  PRODUCTION  OF  LEADING  CROPS. 


l 

533 


TABULATED  RESULTS  OF  THE  ENUMERATION. 


Table  I.— AREA,  POPULATION,  TILLED  LAND,  AND  COTTON  PEODUCTION. 


Counties. 


Area. 


The  State. 


Sq.  mte 

48,  580 


SEA1SOARD  REGION'. 


Currituck 

Camden 

Pasquotank.. . 
Perquimans ... 

Chowan 

Dare 

Tyrrell 

"Washington  . . 

Hyde 

Beaufort 

Pamlico 

■Craven 

Carteret 

•Jones 

Onslow 

Pender 

Xew  Hanover. 

Brunswick 

Columhus 


214 
232 
245 
150 
382 
376 
382 
557 
620 
470 
820 
407 
389 
645 
889 
182 
814 
895 


Total ,    8,951 


LONG-LEAF  PINE   EEGION. 

Gates 339 

Hertford 376 

Bertie 689 

Northampton 557 

Halifax 682 

Nash 595 

Edgecombe 567 

Pitt 657 

Greene '  257 

Martin 482 

Wilson 376 

Johnston 689 

"Wayne 001 

Lenoir 457 

Duplin 832 

Sampson !  964 

Cumberland !  982 

Harnett 601 

Moore 807 

Richmond 820 

Robeson 1,  039 

Bladen 1 ,  026 


Total  . 


OAK   UPLAND8   REGION. 

"Warren 

Franklin 

Granville 

"Wuki- 

Orange  

Chatham  

Mont  gomery 

Anson 

"Cnion 

Stanley  

Davidson ,. 

Jtowan 


507 
526 
695 
932 
652 
826 
489 
545 
557 
432 
564 
482 


POPULATION. 


Total. 


Male. 


,  750     687, 


0,476 
6,274 

10,  369 
9,466 
7,900 
3,243 
4,545 
8,928 
7,765 

17,474 
6,323 

19,  729 
9,784 
7,491 
9,829 

12,  468 

21,  376 
9,389 

14,  439 


3,337 
3,133 
5,129 
4,683 
3,822 
1,650 
2,303 
4,352 
3,948 
8,701 
3,125 
9,351 
4,818 
3,761 
4,916 
6,309 
9,935 
4,769 
7,212 


193,  268   95,  254 


8,897 
11,843 

16,  399 

20,  032 
30,  300 

17,  731 
26, 181 

21,  794 
10,  037 
13, 140 
16,064 

23,  461 

24,  951 
15,344 

18,  773 
22,894 
23,  836 
10,862 
16,821 
18,  245 
23,  880 
16,  158 


4,277 
5,816 
8,129 
9,  920 

15,  212 
8,777 

13,130 

10,  710 
4,932 
6,455 
7,958 

11,  581 

12,  308 
7,502 
9,143 

11, 187 
11,493 
5,362 
8,395 
8,963 
11,840 
7,954 


Female.  White. 


867,  242 


3,139 
3,141 
5,240 
4,783 
4,078 
1,593 
2.  242 
4,576 
3,817 
8,773 
3,198 

10,  378 
4,966 
3,730 
4,913 
6,159 

11,441 
4,620 
7,227 


98,014 


4,620 
6,027 
8,270 
10, 112 
15,  088 
8,954 
13,  051 
11,084 
5,105 
6,  C85 
8,106 
11,880 
12,643 
7,842 
9,630 

11,  707 

12,  343 
5,500 
8,426 
9,282 

12,  040 
8,204 


4,495 
3,791 
4,855 
4,795 
3,633 
2,875 
3,110 
4,554 
4,424 
10,  022 
4,207 
6,664 
7,107 
3,212 
6,600 
5,509 
8,159 
5,337 
8,926 


102,  275 


22,619 

11,234 

20,  829 

10,  294 

31,286 

15,  558 

47,  939 

23,835 

23,  098 

11,  780 

23,453 

11,416 

9,374 

4,616 

17,  994 

8,712 

18,  050 

8,941 

10,505 

5,119 

20,  3  3 

9,934 

19,965 

9,  633 

4,973 
5,122 
6,815 
7,987 
9,137 
9,417 
7,968 

10,  704 
4,652 
6,661 
8,655 

15,996 

12,  827 
7,277 

10,  587 

13,  347 
12,  594 

7,092 
11,485 

8,141 
11,942 

7,598 


Color'd. 


Eg 


532,  508 


1,981 
2,483 
5,514 
4,671 
4,267 
368 
1,435 
4,374 
3,341 
7,452 
2,116 

13,  065 
2,677 
4,279 
3,  229 
6,959 

13,  217 
4,052 
5,513 


9U,  993 


3,924 
6,721 
9,584 
12,045 
21,  163 
8,314 
18,  213 
11,090 
5,385 
6,479 
7,409 
7,465 
12,124 
8,067 
8,186 
9,547 
11,242 
3,770 
5,336 
10, 104 
11,938 
8,500 


12 
23 
14 
28 
13 
24 
24 
19 
15 
14 
117 
12 
16 


22 


100,977    206,606 


11,385 

10,  535 

15,  728 

24,104 

11,918 

12,  037 

4,758 

9,282 

9,115 

5,386 

10,  390 

11,  332 


0,386 

16,  233 

9,470 

11,  353 

13,  003 

17,083 

24,  289 

23,  650 

14,  555 

9,143 

15,500 

7,953 

6,  857 

2,  517 

8,790 

9,204 

13,  520 

4,538 

9,106 

1,339 

16,  341 

3,992 

13,621 

6,344 

TILLED    LAND. 


5,  926,  087 


40,  455 
35,  870 
51,  400 
53,544 
35,  234 

2,094 
19,  225 
30,  711 
32, 167 
43,  625 
16,  989 
50,  853 
17,984 
53,  458 
56,  120 
38,  156 

7,396 
18,  006 
38,  293 


641,  580 


0.78 

7.44 

7.79 

13. 12 

17.16 

7.63 

18.11 

26.43 

7.81 

27.01 

25.20 

25.25 

16.33 

15.83 

11.80 

3.83 

1.92 

2.14 

5.52 


13.34 


48,  821 
53,  625 
82,377  ! 
96,565 

130,  219 
82,238 

132,  875 

103,  302 
75,084 
56,  377 
05,255 

104,  407 
122,  102 

83,  943 
09,  314 

116,  892 
54,238 
42, 173 
08,  780 
75,  208 

103,  055 
37,  990 


11.69 
27.24 
23.62 
37.51 
33.18 
31.33 
39.27 
30.15 
22.63 
23.07 
30.33 
30.83 
26.29 
22.82 
13.93 
13.13 
16.98 
22.01 
12.91 
33.48 
20.90 
4.20 


1,  804,  900 


25.84 


22.41 

26.29 

34.02 

34.15 

30.72 

0.86 

7.98 

12.56 

9.02 

10.99 

5.65 

9.68 

6.90 

21.47 

13.59 

6.71 

6.35 

3.40 

6.69 


11.20 


22.58 
22.  28 
18.68 
27.09 
32.12 
21.00 
36.62 
24.57 
45.  65 
18.28 
27. 12 
23.68 
31.74 
28.72 
13.02 
18.95 

8.63 
10.96 
13.32 
14.24 
15.50 

5.  79 


19.58 


83, 

87, 
145, 
156, 

82, 
119, 

46, 


58, 
113, 
94, 


25.  70 
34.60 

4.52 
38.19 

0.40 
11.30 
14.11 
32.06 
22.  75 
10.02 

3.33 
12.34 


25.  84 
25.99 
32.61 
20.30 
19.81 
22.55 
14.77 
25.31 
23.54 
21.  21 
31.39 
30.59 


COTTON  PRODUCTION. 


3, 153 


475  lbs. 
389,  598 


310 

2,670 

4,004 

7,025 

0,047 

16 

3,481 

8,117 

2,513 

11,  785 

4,585 

12,838 

2,936 

8,403 

0,658 

1,463 

142 

385 

2,113 


Bales. 


Average  per  acre 


85,  557 


5,707 

14,  605 
19, 455 
36,  219 
43,  206 
25,  768 
51,  880 
31, 147 
10,  988 
13,444 
23,  700 
32, 193 
32,  103 
19, 150 

9,654 

15,  346 
9,210 
9,281 
8,882 

25,  198 

21,  607 

1,618 


139 

823 

1,181 

2,778 

2,223 

8 

1,123 

3,524 

718 

0,021 

2  226 

5,782 

1,014 

4,078 

2,841 

835 

60 

244 

930 


0.44 
0.31 
0.29 
0.40 
0.37 
0.50 
0.32 
0.43 
0.29 
0.51 
0.49 
0.45 
0.35 
0.48 
0.43 
0.57 
0.40 
0.03 
0.44 


30,  554  0.  43 


1,803 
6,360 
7,290- 

13,  616 
16,  661 
12,  567 
26,  250 

14,  879 
8,020 
6,383 

13,049 

15,  151 
14,  558 

8,235 
4,499 
6,291 
3,905 
3,027 
3,  »88 
12,754 
8,840 
683 


406,367  209,475 


21,603 
311,  274 

0,559 
59,  910 

5,290 
13,  478 

0,519 
28,  290 
19,  090 

5,878 

3,  779 
10,  645 


7,778 

12,  938 

2,  535 

30, 115 

1,  919 

5,858 

2,989 

11,  857 

8,  330 

2,475 

1,553 

4,381 


0.33 
0.44 
0.37 
0.38 
0.39 
0.49 
0.51 
0.48 
0.47 
0.47 
0.55 
0.47 
0.45 
0.43 
0.47 
0.41 
0.42 
0.39 
0.45 
0.51 
0.41 
0.42 


Lbs. 
621 


627 
438 
420 
564 
525 
714 
459 
618 
408 
729 
693 
642 
492 
687 
609 
813 
603 
903 
027 


Lbs. 
207 


209 
146 
140 
188 
175 
238 
153 
206 
136 
243 
231 
214 
161 
229 
203 
271 
221 
301 
209 


009   203 


0.45 


0.30 
0.43 
0.39 
0.50 
0.30 
0.43 
0.40 
0.42 
0.44 
0.42 
0.41 
0.41 


405 
621 
534 
537 
549 
696 
720 
681 
672 
678 
783 
672 
645 
612 
663 
585 
603 
558 
039 
720 
582 


639 


513 
609 
552 
717 
516 
618 
054 
597 
621 
600 
585 
585 


155 
207 
178 
179 
183 
232 
240 
227 
224 
226 
261 
224 
215 
204 
221 
195 
201 
186 
213 
240 
194 
201 


213 


171 
203 
184 
239 
172 
206 
218 
199 
207 
200 
195 
195  | 
535 


SI 


18.  X. 


1.12 

12.48 

17.20 

28.67 

40.31 

0.04 

9.26 

21.25 

4.51 

19.01 

9.70 

15.66 

7.21 

21.76 

10.32 

1.65 

0.78 

0.47 

2.36 


9.56 


16.83 
30.86 
28.24 
65.02 
63.35 
43.31 
91.50 
47.41 
62.22 
27.89 
03.05 
46.72 
53.42 
41.90 
11.60 
15.92 

9.38 
15.44 
11.01 
30.51 
20.79 

1.57 


32.39 


42.61 
57.56 

9.44 
64.29 

8.11 
16.32 
13.33 
51.92 
34.27 
13.69 

6.70 
22.08 


4  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

Table  I.— AREA,  POPULATION,  TILLED  LAND,  AND  COTTON  PRODUCTION— Continued. 


Counties. 


OAK  UPLANDS  REGION— Cont'd 

Cabarrus 

Mecklenburg 

Iredell. 

Cataw  ba 

Lincoln , 

Gaston 

Cleaveland 

Rutherford 

Randolph 

Guilford 

Alamance 

Person 

Caswell 

Rockingham   

Stokes 

Forsyth 

Davie 

Yadkin 

Surry 

Wilkes 

Alexander 

Caldwell   

Burke  

McDowell 

Polk    , 

Total 

TRAN6M0NTANE  REGION. 

Alleghany    _, 

Ashe •. . . . 

Watauga 

Mitchell 

Yancey    

Madison 

Buncombe 

Henderson  

Transylvania 

Haywood 

Jackson    

Macon 

Swain 

Graham 

Clay 

Cherokee 

Total 

536 


TABULATED  RESULTS  OF  THE  ENUMERATION. 
Table  II.— ACREAGE  AND  PRODUCTION  OF  LEADING  CROPS. 


Counties. 


The  State. 


SEABOARD   REGION. 


Cnrritnek 

Camden 

rasquotank  — 
Perqui»ans... 

Chowan 

Bare 

Tyrrell 

"Washington  .. 

Hyde 

Beaufort 

Pamlico 

Craven  

Carteret 

Jones 

Onslow 

Pender  

Xew  Hanover. 
Brunswick .... 
Columbus 


Total  . 


LONG-LEAF  TINE   REGION. 


Gates 

Hertford 

Bertie 

Northampton  . 

Halifax 

Xash 

Edgecombe  . . . 

Pitt 

Greene 

Martin 

Wilson 

Johnston 

Wayne 

Lenoir 

Duplin 

Sampson 

Cumberland  .. 

Harnett 

Moore 

Richmond 

Robeson  

Bladen 


893, 153 


316 
2,670 
4,004 
7,025 
0,047 
16 
3,481 
8.117 
2,513 

11,  785 
4,585 

12,  838 
2,936 
8,463 
6,658 
1,463 

142 

385 

2,113 


Bales 
(475  lbs.) 


389,  598 


85,  557 


5,707 

14,  605 

19,  455 

36,  219 

43,  206 

25,  768 

51,880 

31, 147 

16,  988 

13,  444- 

23,  706 

32, 193 

32, 103 

19, 150 

9,654 

15,346 

9,210 

9,281 

8,882 

25,  108 

21,607 

1,618 


Total 466,367 


OAK   UPLANDS   REGION. 

Warren 21,  603 

Franklin 30,274 

Granville 6,  559 

Wake j  59,916 

Orange   !  5,290 

Chatham '  13,478 

Montgomery 6,  51 9 

Anson 28,  296 

Union 19,  090 

Stanley 5,878 

Davidson f  3,779 

Kowan '  10,645 

Cabarrus ,  19,224 

Mecklenburg j  41, 343 

'redell I  ]?,  603 


139 

823 

,181 

,778 

,223 

8 

,123 

,524 

718 

,021 

,226 

,782 

,014 

,078 

,841 

835 

66 

244 

930 


36,554 


1,863 

6,360 

7,290 

13,616 

16,661 

12,  567 
26,  250 
14,  879 

8,020 
6,383 

13,  049 
15, 151 

14,  558 
8,235 
4,499 
6,291 
3,905 
3,627 
3,988 

12,  754 

8,846 

683 


209,  475 


Acres. !    Pounds. 


57,  208 


36 

21 

27 

3 

3 

8 

1 

17 

36 

198 

45 

16 


,759 

11'8 

,941 

230 

,323 

141 

04 

11 


484 

216 

12 

10 

465 


20,  986,  213 


400 
398 


685 

517 

5,  263 

1,520 

2,732 

303 

250 

730 

690 


2,  502 
3,866 


620 

2,160 

554 

20,  484 

8,487 

7,562 
550 
598 

1,  955 
211 

8,745 

12,  881 
102,  979 

13,  500 
4,655 

14,  353 


9,  510 

15,  724 

1,305 


228,  449 


992,  256 

58,  932 

,  606,  358 

94,354 

,  178,732 

40,  837 

14,  370 

4,880 

3,  467 

1,735 

260,  538 

115,251 

3,  230 

2,291 

242,  714 


CORN. 


Acres.         Bushels. 


2,  305,  419     28,  019,  839 


23,310 
23,  663 
2S,  525 
21,  910 
13,  877 
956 

8,300 
15,824 
21,632 
20,  225 

6,381 
19,  001 

5,  156 
19,425 
23,  259 
16,  550 

2,008 

4,915 
15,  723 


324,  819 
295,  447 
348, 119 
292,  850 
143, 156 
11,205 

106,  839 

217,  631 
243,  623 
286,  211 

107,  959 

218,  256 
41,458 

186,  054 
185,  019 
159,064 
15,037 
46,  329 
136,546 


90,  640   3,  369,  42C 


21,  946 
25,  521 
37,  735 

45,  224 
44,790 
32,  490 

46,  235 
46, 482 
25, 148 
24,  209 
27,  288 
45,  045 
44,  469 
29,  838 
36,  813 
53,  951 
32,  677 
21,244 
27,  934 
29,  502 
49,  961 
21,556 


770,  058 


170,  642 
236,  088 
345,  091 
431,  581 
437,  321 
295,  619 
433,  214 
458,  166 
173,  421 
227,  445 
299,  957 
428,  996 
466,  432 
274,  010 
330,  437 
486,  768 
282,  423 
180,  458 
302,  196 
277,974 
360, 128 
188,  208 


28,  457 
32,642 

42,  608 
53,  172 

28,  542 

43,  087 
18,  090 

29,  121 
28,  877 
22,426 
36,  983 
38,  903 
26,831 
41,285 
39,264 


293,  773 
338,  239 
515,  159 
612,  869 
366,  640 
558,  261 
210,  521 
305,  139 
338,  .020 
271,  877 
549,  900 
597,519 
381,321 
539,  385 
588,  220 


SWEET  TOTATOES. 


Acres.      Bushels. 


50,  803 


462 
377 
291 
850 
723 
293 
460 
479 
261 

1,093 
783 

1,323 
834 
435 
765 

1,  522 
316 

1,523 

2,242 


972 

483 

890 

596 

543 

848 

623 

1,171 

429 

829 

525 

1,916 

1,347 

584 

1,842 

1,997 

1,116 

962 

716 

750 

1,825 

1,554 


42,  902 
26,  823 

22,  751 
99,  498 
62,  247 
19,717 
31,  739 
48,  429 
20,  236 

188,  507 
65,  807 

115,538 
61,  469 
38,  287 
67,  980 

116,  559 

23,  138 
111,779 
186,  306 


15,032        1,349,712 


87,  494 
76, 439 
94, 473 
67,  858 
52,  709 
'  93,997 
86,  033 
82,  334 
37,  660 
92,  913 
58,  336 
210,  456 
120,  561 
50,  995 
169,044 
214,  596 
91,  355 
96,118 
65,  018 
65,  374 
167,  225 
117,638 


22,  718 


383 

28, 

493 

48, 

680 

52, 

,797 

155, 

201 

22 

622 

53, 

2.'ll 

21. 

499 

39, 

222 

in, 

113 

10, 

390 

30, 

277 

25, 

120 

11, 

281 

26, 

182 

11, 

Acres.      Pounds. 


503 

87 

1,016 

979 

394 

438 

413 

321 

159 

392 

315 

1,489 

1,201 


17 
161 

35 

11 
6 

36 
567 
208 
629 
441 

42 
1 


38 
303 
473 


7,727 

16,  861 

810 

2,090 


2,780 
237,  515 

60,  873 
304,  671 
502,  676 
276,  174 
251, 108 
206,  965 
118,  777 

92,  565 

248,  622 

260,  068 

1, 163,  852 

462,  042 


,  863       4,  210,  176 


2,901 

110,  067 

19,  214 

3,150 

1,800 

19,  672 

294,  201 

95,  559 

300,  203 

240,  080 

19,  963 

830 


17,  460 
118,393 
140,  340 


1,  383,  839 


Acres.        Bushels. 


500,  415 


3,  838,  008 


267 

2,  734 

1,008 

8,854 

1,930 

17.4SS 

1  222 

13,921 

791 

6,888 

17 

230 

781 

7,022 

1,065 

13,427 

1,354 

18,400 

1,395 

18,  436 

378 

4,845 

333 

4,  426 

107 

1,  122 

455 

5,420 

96 

1,  280 

183 

2,269 

86 

606 

240 

2  262 

267 

2.  517 

1,210 
1,800 
2,403  j 
4,  805  j 
4,497 
3,875  j 
9,589 
3,301 
1,738 
1,  417 
1,  590 
3,  170 
1,779 
1,060  ! 
433 
654 
1,509 
1,202 
7,924 
3.571 
2,814 
362 


00,  739 


5,559 

5,560 

14,344 

13,  948 

12,243 

19,  801 

7,852 

8,999 

14,357  ' 

10,975  ! 

10,  924 

17,701 

7,593 

12,949 

17,488 


132,  703 


10,016 
14,  512 
20,  517 
45,  709 
41,771 
30,135 
94,  021 
29,  400 
16.  772 
11,229 
13,682 
29,  OSS 
18,600 
12,217 

6,132 

6,  297 
13,  791 

7.640 
48,  744 
32,  279 
22,  845 

3,795 

530,  128 


46 

45, 
110. 

98, 

86, 
120, 

50, 


122 
142 

54. 

04, 
126, 


090 
812 
090 
962 
268 
311 
248 
4.54 
719 
n'*3 
003 
121 
519 
356 
429' 


537 


6 


COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 
Table  II— ACREAGE  AND  PRODUCTION  OF  LEADING  CROPS— Continued. 


COTTON. 

TOBACCO. 

cons. 

SWEET  POTATOES. 

RICE. 

OATS. 

Counties. 

Acres. 

Hales 
(475  lbs). 

Acres' 

Pounils. 

Acres. 

Bushels. 

Acres. 

Bushels. 

Acres.      Pounds. 

Acres. 

Bushels. 

Oar  uplands  region— continued. 

5, 175 

7,  442 

10,  949 

19,  238 

9,679 

593 

283 

211 

6 

5 

13 

16 

790 

87 

3 

107 

617 

30 

752 

23 

1,646 

2,012 

2,945 

4,588 

6,  126 

2,079 

295 

114 

91 

1 

4 

3 

7 

10 

302 

26 

1 

29 

182 

12 

301 

9 

362 

49 

15 

7 

23 

38 

45 

910 

1,688 

5,868 

10, 174 

9,332 

4,690 

1,693 

1,205 

425 

2,136 

110 

28 

75 

58 

100 

4 

26,  380 
6.085 
2,180 
5,122 
12,  908 
11,101 
422,  716 
695,  013 

3,  012,  387 

4,  336,  664 
4,  341,  259 
2,131,161 

822,  788 

633,  339 

177,  595 

905,  250 

33,  211 

11,799 

25,384 

20,  079 

30,  541 

931 

21.248 
19,  338 
24,  678 

31,  339 

32,  783 
35, 338 
39,  790 

24,  628 
19,  372 

25,  663 
25, 175 

19,  969 

20,  920 
22, 125 

21,  735 
25,  334 
34,  865 

16.  789 

17,  315 

22,  613 
17,  675 
10,  632 

358,  210 
313,  907 
373,  472 
390,  281 
394,  062 
477, 168 
519, 185 
305,  874 
241,  523 
361,  641 
392,  767 
338,  781 
335, 164 
438,  595 
343,  070 
397, 143 
480,  089 
212,  382 
274,  495 
325,  656 
265,  934 
139,  313 

205 
126 
187 
399 
343 
257 
188 
139 
152 
469 
273 
334 
227 

65 
102 
407 
208 

92 
216 
138 
115 

93 

19, 179 
19,  290 
35,  834 

28,  226 

19,  809 

20,  302 
13,  252 
12,843 
24,  629 
27,911 
19,  860 
18,447 

6,231 

8,266 
24,  669 
22,  255 

9,237 
21,071 
11,858 
12,  707 

5,116 

1  <            1,230 

7,  560 

6,313 

6,699 

10,  959 

6,166 

13,  524 

20,  774 

9,618 

9,821 

14,441 

15,  200 

8,408 

11,780 

13,366 

11.289 

9,199 

8,240 

7,503 

3,886 

3,455 

1,690 

877 

04,236 

44,  939 
50,  244 

Rutherford 

1  1               835 
1  !                609 

02,  211 
31,971 

129,  723 

48,  869 

56,  926 

101,  398 

139,  266 

72,  391 

95,304 

139, 126 

79,443 

Wilkes          

70,  737 

55,  360 

51,752 

Caldwell 

Buike    

o 
8 
2 

1,649 

4,308 

545 

30, 592 
21,762 

McDowell 

Polk 

13,111 
5,786 

Total             

341,  166 

143,  546 

53,454 

25,  292,  847 

1,  039,  672 

14, 146,  083 

11,546 

957, 484 

15 

9,  176 

387, 176 

2,  797,  822 

TRAXSMONTAXE  REGIOX. 

8 
60 
23 
77 
84 
1,626 

947 
29 
10 

100 
21 
46 
11 
4 
25 
42 

2,049 

11,064 

7,  210 

29,  647 

33,  898 

807,911 

475,  428 

4,087' 

3,853 

39,  516 

4,801 

9,154 

1,166 

1,095 

5,771 

8,411 

7,201 
15,  616 

8,227 
11,894 

11,  200 
17,816 
29, 108 
16, 407 

9,762 
17,254 

12,  793 
14,423 

6.809 
4,222 
7,810 
14,  507 

122,  587 
277,  027 
148, 204 
209, 131 
205,  659 
348,  858 
490,  544 
227,  411 
154,  769 
314,446 
188,521 
222,  855 
100,  543 
66,  092 
113,  462 
227,  650 

3 

4 

35 

26 

25 

87 

40 

34 

36 

131 

102 

21 

S9 

109 

158 

285 
411 
769 
2,661 
2,113 
1,764 
5,  872 
2,627 
3,446 
2,405 

10,  278 

11,  214 
2,154 
5,460 
7,058 

11,789 

1,933 
3,357 
1,828 
3,990 
3,657 
4,  238 
6,967 
2,908 
257 
4,099 
1,521 
1,621 
757 
628 
1,230 
1,534 

19,  365 

Ashe 

37,  955 

10 
13 

3 
6 

23,  205 

i 

40,845 

43,  631 

12 

4 

38,  816 

62,679 

10 

4 

23,087 

2,870 

1 

35,  834 

16 

6 

9,440 

12,209 

4,301 

3,914 

Clav 

7,607 

11,  657 

Total 

63 

23 

3,113 

1,  445,  061 

205,  049 

3,  417,  759 

907 

70,  306 

40,  525 

377,411 

538 


;p  a^  t    i. 


PHYSICO-GEOGRAPHICAL  AND  AGRICULTURAL  DESCRIPTION 

oy 

NORTH   CAROLINA. 


7 
539 


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ftRTMENT    OF    IHE   INTERIOR 


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AGRICULTURAL  MAP 

OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA  and  part  ofMRGINIA 

COMPILED    FROM 
PERSONAL  NOTES   AND  STATE  AND  COl   XTV   SURVEYS 
AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

BY 

W.   C  .  K  E   R  R ,  P  H  .  D  . 
SPECIAL  AGENT 

L880. 


\J 


-  ;'"  :   .._  ."-.    :'    L;.-. 


OUTLINES    OF    THE    PHYSICAL    GEOGRAPHY 

OF   THE 

STATE    OF    NOETH    CAEOLINA. 


Xorth  Carolina  lies  east  and  west  across  the  Atlantic  slope  of  the  Appalachians  in  a  long,  narrow,  rudely  triangular 
belt,  its  narrow  western  end  resting  on  the  highest  plateau  aud  summit  of  that  continental  system  of  mountains, 
and  its  eastern  broader  end  spread  out  in  a  low,  level,  and  gently  undulating  plain  on  the  sea-coast.  Its  length  east 
and  west  is  500  miles  :  its  mean  breadth  about  100  miles,  the  western  extremity  being  only  15  miles  wide,  while  its 
broadest  part,  near  the  sea-coast,  in  the  meridian  of  Wilmington  and  Cape  Fear  river,  reaches  a  breadth  of  187i 
miles.  This  state  is  situated  between  the  meridians  of  75°  27'  aud  81°  20'  west  longitude  and  33°  50'  and  36° 
33£'  north  latitude,  aud  about  midway  between  the  great  lakes  of  the  north  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  If  on  a  map 
of  the  United  States  the  map  of  this  state  was  detached,  aud  its  western  end  swung  northward  on  its  easternmost 
point  as  a  pivot,  the  western  extremity  would  touch  the  north  shore  of  lake  Ontario :  swung  southward  it  would 
reach  the  Gulf. 

The  area  of  the  state  is  52,250  square  miles,  of  which  3,670  is  water  surface,  leaving  a  laud  surface  of  4S,5S0 
square  miles. 

Topography. — The  ascent  of  the  Atlantic  slope  from  the  sea  is  very  gradual  in  the  latitude  of  this  state, 
more  so  than  in  the  states  north  and  south.  The  obvious  reason  is  that  the  greater  elevation  of  the  mountains 
here  is  more  than  compensated  l>y  the  notable  protrusion  of  the  coast-line  of  this  state  into  the  sea.  If  on  a  map  of 
the  United  States  a  straight  line  be  drawn  from  Saint  Augustine,  Florida,  to  Sandy  Hook,  it  will  pass  more  than 
KM)  miles  west  of  the  eastern  cape  of  Xorth  Carolina.  If,  then,  the  ascent  of  this  slope  be  followed  westward  from 
the  easternmost  point  of  the  coast-line  along  a  median  parallel,  it  will  be  found  that  for  the  first  100  miles  the  rise 
is  but  little  more  than  half  a  foot  to  the  mile ;  for  the  second  100  miles  it  is  only  3  .J  feet ;  for  the  third  100  miles 
5  feet;  and  for  the  last  75  miles,  to  the  foot  of  the  Blue  Bidge,  S  feet  per  mile;  aggregating  1,500 feet  in  375  miles- 
If  the  steepest  ascent  be  taken  in  a  northwest  direction  at  right  angles  to  the  trend  of  the  coast  and  of  the 
Appalachians  (which  is  about  X.  00°  E.)  the  first  hundred  miles  give  a  rise  of  200  feet,  or  nearly  2  feet  to  the  mile,  and 
the  acclivity  for  the  next  130  miles,  to  the  foot  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  is  10  feet  per  mile,  making  1,500  feet  in  250  miles. 

The  ci.smontane  plateau  rises. from  an  elevation  of  1,000  feet  on  the  east  to  1,500  feet  along  its  western  border, 
where  it  is  quite  rough  and  mountainous.  The  Blue  Bidge  is  an  escarpment  of  from  1,500  to  2,000  feet  average 
elevation  above  the  plateau  at  its  base,  rising  in  some  of  its  peaks  to  nearly  0,000  feet  of  absolute  elevation.  The 
region  west  of  this  chain  is  a  long,  narrow,  elevated  mountainous  plateau,  bounded  westward  by  the  high  and 
massive  range  of  the  Smoky  mountains. 


« 

t- 

-. 

3 


METAMORPHIC     AND      GRANITIC     SOILS.  ;  DRIFT    AND    ALLUVIAL     SOILS. 


SECTION  FROM  STATE  LINE  AT  FRENCH  BROAD  WATER  GAP  TO  SEA  LEVEL  AT  NEW  BERNE. 

A.  granite:  B  gneiss  anu  schist;  C,  metamorpUic  slates;  D.  Triassic  sandstones  E.  Cretaceous  greensand;  F,  Tertiary  sands  clays,  and  limestones  G 
Quaternary  sands  and  claj  -. 

Topographical  divisions.— From  the  preceding  statement  it  fe  obvious  that,  topographically,  the  state  is 
naturally  divided  into  four  regions,  or  zones,  parallel  to  each  other  and  to  the  Appalachian  axis  and  the  coast, 
viz,  Eastern,  Midland,  Piedmont,  and  Mountain  divisions. 

0 

541 


10  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

The  Eastern  division. — This  division  extends  from  110  to  125  miles  inland  from  the  coast  to  the  lower  falls  of  the- 
rivers,  rising  very  gradually  to  about  200  feet  along  its  northwestern  border,  a  little  less  toward  the  north,  and  a 
little  more  to  the  southward.  This  boundary  is  clearly  enough  defined  by  a  straight  line  from  Weldon,  on  the  Eoanoke 
river,  to  the  point  where  the  Yadkin  (or  Pedee)  river  crosses  the  southern  border  of  the  state.  The  total  area 
is  nearly  24,000  square  miles ;  laud  surface,  20,000  square  miles ;  and  it  may  be  described  summarily  in  a  single 
word  as  one  broad  champaign.  Its  surface  is  nearly  level  or  slightly  undulating,  except  along  the  river  courses,  ou 
the  upper  reaches  of  which  are  found  bluffs  and  hills.  The  rivers  from  the  interior  cross  it  in  a  transverse  direction, 
dividing  it  into  half  a  dozen  broad,  flat  swells,  which  sink  dowu  toward  the  coast  to  within  a  few  feet  of  tide-level. 
The  region  is  further  characterized  by  numerous  and  large  sounds,  bays,  and  wide  tidal  rivers,  by  extensive 
swamps  and  marshes,  and  by  wide  tracts  of  alluvial  and  peaty  soils,  with  extensive  cypress  and  juniper  forests 
near  the  coast,  and  of  sandy  soils  inland  having  vast  forests  of  long  leaf  pine. 

The  Midland  division  rises  toward  its  western  limit  to  about  1,000  feet,  and  has  an  average  elevation  of  about 
650  feet.  Its  breadth  is  nearly  100  miles,  and  its  area  some  15,000  square  miles.  The  surface  is  generally  hilly  and 
rolling,  and  sometimes  quite  rough  near  the  larger  rivers,  which  have  cut  their  valleys  in  a  southeasterly  course 
across  it  often  to  depths  of  200,  300,  and  400  feet  below  the  level  of  the  broad-backed  swells  or  table-lands  between 
them.    This  and  the  two  following  divisions  are  regions  of  oak  forests  aud  granitic  soils. 

The  Piedmont  division. — This  plateau  slopes  up  from  1,000  to  1,200  and  1,500  feet  at  the  foot  of  the  Blue  Eidge, 
having  an  average  elevation  of  near  1,200  feet.  It  is  from  60  to  70  miles  wide,  and  has  an  area  of  about  7,000  square 
miles.  Its  surface  is  generally  hilly,  and  often  rugged,  especially  toward  the  western  side,  where  numerous  high 
and  precipitous  spurs  project  eastward  and  southward  from  the  Blue  Bulge.  Two  of  these,  the  South  mountains  and 
the  Brushy  mountains,  traverse  almost  its  entire  breadth  in  a  nearly  east  direction,  that  is,  diagonally,  and  throw 
off  many  secondary  spurs  and  ridges,  thus  carrying  its  mountainous  features  to  the  borders  of  the  midland  division. 
These  spurs  frequently  rise  to  an  elevation  of  1,000  and  1,500  feet  and  more  above  the  intervening  valleys.  In  this 
region  rise  most  of  the  great  rivers  already  referred  to,  whose  waters  have  so  profoundly  modified  the  topography 
of  the  two  preceding  divisions. 

The  Mountain  division.— This  is  a  high  plateau,  bounded  eastward  by  the  straggling,  irregular,  knobby  chain  of 
the  Blue  Eidge,  which  attains  its  greatest  elevation  of  almost  6,000  feet  midway  of  the  state.  Its  average  elevation 
is  nearly  4.000  feet,  most  of  its  gaps  being  above  3,000  feet ;  but  toward  the  southern  and  northern  borders  of  the 
state  it  drops  to  an  altitude  of  near  3,000  feet,  its  lower  gaps  being  but  little  above  2,000  feet.  Seen  from  the  east,  this 
chain  presents  the  aspect  of  a  steep  and  rugged  escarpment  springing  suddenly  from  the  Piedmont  plateau  to  an 
altitude  of  2,000  and  3,000  feet  and  more  above  it,  while  from  the  west  it  appears  as  a  low  and  very  ill-defined  range 
of  scattered  and  irregular  knobs  and  ridges  of  the  moderate  elevation  of  1,000  or  2,000  feet  above  that  plateau, 
which  itself  has  an  average  altitude  of  about  2,700  feet,  its  valleys  being  2,000  feet,  and  its  higher  tables  and 
benches  reaching  3,500  and  4,000  feet.  The  western  boundary  of  this  division  is  that  of  the  state ;  that  is,  the 
Smoky  mountains.  The  area  of  this  division  is  5,700  square  miles.  These  two  parallel  bounding  chains  are 
separated  by  from  30  to  50  miles,  but  at  the  Grandfather  plateau  they  approach  within  10  miles,  diverging  again 
northward.  t 

This  plateau  is  the  culminating  region  of  the  Appalachian  system,  and  contains  not  only  its  heaviest  masses, 
but  its  highest  summits,  Mitchell's  peak,  in  the  Black  mountains,  being  400  feet  higher  than  Mount  Washington, 
aud  a  dozen  other  peaks  surpassing  that  summit  of  the  White  mountains,  and  it  is  therefore  the  most  elevated 
region  of  the  United  States  east  of  the  Mississippi  river.  It  is  traversed  north  and  south  by  half  a  dozen  cross 
chains,  which  are  in  some  cases  higher  than  either  of  the  principal  ranges,  some  of  them  being  more  than  6,000 
feet,  the  Black,  with  Mitchell's  peak,  6,688  feet,  being  one  of  these  cross  chains. 

The  plateau  is  thus  subdivided  into  a  number  of  smaller  plateaus  or  basins,  bounded  on  all  sides  by  high 
mountains,  having  each  its  own  independent  system  of  drainage.  The  Blue  Eidge  being  the  divide  between  the 
waters  of  the  Atlantic  and  the  Mississippi,  all  the  rivers  of  this  region,  except  those  which  rise  north%of  the 
Grandfather  plateau,  flow  northwestward  into  the  Tennessee  river,  the  Xew  river  (Kanawha)  flowing  northeastward 
and  reaching  the  Mississippi  by  way  of  the  Ohio. 

Climate. — The  geographical  position  of  this  state,  together  with  its  topographical  features,  give  at  once  the 
controlling  conditions  of  its  climate.  Its  situation  would  give  a  middle  temperate  climate.  The  position  of  its 
eastern  end  on  the  Atlantic,  and  the  projection  of  this  end  southward  aloug  the  coast  below  the  parallel  of  34°, 
together  with  its  near  approach  to  the  Gulf  Stream,  which  hugs  the  shore  closely  at  this  point,  give  this  part  of  the 
state  a  subtropical  character.  The  isotherm  of  this  southern  angle  is  66°,  the  same  as  that  of  southern  Alabama, 
middle  Mississippi,  and  middle  Texas,  while  the  great  elevatiou  and  inland  recession  of  the  western  section 
bring  its  climate  within  the  cold  temperate  zone,  the  isotherm  for  this  region  corresponding  to  that  of  middle  Xew 
England  and  Upper  Canada,  although  it  is  not  subject  to  the  same  extremes  of  either  heat  or  cold,  the  range  of 
temperature  being  less  by  fiom  5°  to  12°.  The  average  mean  annual  temperature  for  the  state  is  59°;  for  the 
eastern  region,  61°;  the  middle.  58°;  the  western,  52°.  The  summer  temperatures  are,  respectively,  77°  for  the  - 
state,  and  79°,  77°,  and  70°  for  the  several  regions  ;  the  winter  temperatures  for  the  state,  43°,  and  for  the  regions, 
46°,  44°,  38°.  respectively.  The  hottest  month  is  July,  and  the  coldest  December. 
542 


PHYSICO-GEOGRAPHICAL  AND  AGRICULTURAL  FEATURES.  11 

The  average  annual  rainfall  for  the  whole  state  is  52  inches;  for  the  east,  middle,  and  western  portions,  (JO, 
45,  and  5S  inches,  respectively.  This  rainfall  is  distributed  pretty  uniformly  through  the  year,  except  that  August 
shows  a  considerable  excess  of  precipitation  in  the  eastern  and  middle  regions  and  February  in  the  western;  and 
the  summer  rainfall  exceeds  that  of  the  other  seasons  considerably  in  the  eastern  and  very  slightly  in  the  middle, 
while  the  amounts  for  the  whiter  and  summer  are  nearly  equal  in  the  west,  autumn  being  the  driest  season  in  all 
sections. 

The  prevalent  winds  in  all  sections  of  the  state  are  frdin  the  west,  but  most  notably  in  the  western  section ; 
and  of  the  westerly  winds,  the  southwest  is  the  more  common  in  the  eastern  division,  the  northwest  in  the  middle 
division,  and  the  west  in  the  mountain  region.  The  next  in  order  of  importance,  except  in  the  western  division 
of  the  state,  is  the  northeast  wind.  The  east  wind  has  no  prominence  in  any  quarter  of  the  state,  nor  has  the 
southeast  wind,  except  on  the  immediate  coast,  and  the  south  wind,  except  in  the  eastern  section,  is  equally 
unimportant. 

The  winds  which  bring  rain  are  mostly  southwesterly.  Thunder- storms  come  generally  from  the  west,  winter 
rains  frequently  from  the  northeast,  and  in  all  seasons  occasional  rains,  and  sometimes  very  heavy  ones,  come  from 
the  east  and  southeast.  These  statements  will  need  modification  for  special  localities,  particularly  in  inclosed 
mountain  valleys,  where  the  direction  of  the  rain-bearing  winds  is  governed  by  the  local  topography.  In  some  of 
these  the  west  is  the  rainy  quarter ;  in  others  the  east ;  and  in  still  others  the  southeast. 

The  average  annual  snowfall  is  5  inches  in  the  middle  region,  2  inches  in  the  east,  and  14  inches  in  the  west. 
The  snow-clouds  come  generally  from  the  northeast,  sometimes  from  the  north,  and  rarely  from  the  southwest. 

Geological  features. — The  eastern  topographical  division  is  mantled  over  with  a  thin  coveringof  Quaternary 
gravels,  sands,  and  clays,  having,  a  thickness  of  one,  two,  or  three  score  feet,  being  entirely  removed  in  many 
places,  and  thinning  out  toward  its  northwestern  margin.  Underneath  this  formation  is  the  Tertiary,  of  no  greater 
thickness  or  persistence.  Miocene  clays,  sands,  and  shell-beds  (the  so-called  marls)  crop  out  in  the  depressions  and 
along  the  streams  over  nearly  the  whole  breadth  of  the  division,  and  in  the  southern  half  of  it  Eocene  calcareous 
clays,  chalk-beds,  and  shell  limestones  show  themselves  in  the  river  beds  and  bluffs,  occasionally  coming  to  the 
surface  elsewhere  in  the  lower  levels  of  the  region.  As  we  ascend  the  courses  of  the  rivers,  Cape  Fear  for  example, 
the  Eocene  is  represented  by  beds  of  lignitic  clay,  and  then  of  sand  and  gravel  and  of  purple  and  white  kaolin 
clays.  This  formation  is  limited  in  thickness  like  the  preceding,  and  thins  out  toward  the  coast,  as  well  as 
inland. 

The  Cretaceous  is  seen  only  in  the  beds  of  a  few  of  the  larger  rivers  south  of  the  Xeuse,  and  usually  only  in  the 
lower  parts  of  the  bluffs  at  low  water.  This  formation  is  represented  by  loose  and  half-compacted  greensands,  with 
occasional  shell-beds.  Toward  the  northwestern  limit  of  the  division  the  upturned  edges  of  the  Archaean  rocks, 
gneisses,  slates,  and  quartzites  appear  in  the  beds  and  banks  of  the  rivers  from  the  Roanoke  to  the  Pedee,  and 
occasionally  project  above  the  sands  and  gravels  at  other  points  between.  Along  this  margin  of  the  division, 
and  touching  it  near  the  Pedee,  on  the  southern  border  of  the  state,  and  again  at  the  forks  of  the  Cape  Fear,  lies  a 
narrow  strip  of  Triassic  rocks,  red  and  gray  sandstones,  clays  and  conglomerates,  with  several  seams  of  bituminous 
coal,  one  of  them  6  feet  thick  and  of  good  quality.  These  rocks  are  tilted  toward  the  southeast  at  an  angle  of  from  10° 
to  30°.  The  average  breadth  of  the  belt  is  5  or  G  miles,  which  widens  to  12  miles  between  Raleigh  and  the  University 
and  thins  out  toward  the  northern  border  of  the  state.  The  coal  outcrop  follows  the  course  of  Deep  river  about  30 
miles.  These  rocks  lie  in  a  trough  along  the  eroded  edges  of  the  nearly  vertical  Archaean  slates  and  schists.  This 
Triassic  terrane  is  repeated  in  all  its  features  along  the  northern  border  of  the  state,  occupying  a  similar  trough  of 
from  2  to  4  miles  in  width  along  the  upper  valley  of  Dan  river,  extending  from  a  point  near  Danville  to  40  miles  west. 
The  dips  here  are  reversed,  being  northward,  and  are  much  steeper — from  30°  to  50°  and  70°.  The  coal  of  this  terrane 
is  semi-bituminous,  and  the  longer  bed  is  only  half  as  thick  as  that  of  the  Deep  River  belt.  Over  the  whole  surface  of  the 
state  west  of  the  Quaternary,  except  these  two  Triassic  tracts  of  less  than  1,000  square  miles  and  two  or  three  small 
patches  of  primordial  on  the  western  border,  the  Archwan  rocks  alone  have  place.  As  the  covering  of  sand  and  gravel 
disappears  a  zone  of  gneisses  and  schists  is  uncovered  in  the  region  of  Raleigh,  which  is  exposed  from  the  northern 
border  of  the  state,  on  the  Roanoke  river,  southwestward  to  the  Cape  Fear,  beyond  which  it  is  overlaid  by  the 
Quaternary.  The  dips  are  still  easterly,  as  in  the  outcrops  through  the  sand.  A  few  miles  west  of  Raleigh,  and 
at  the  forks  of  the  Cape  Fear  and  the  point  where  the  Pedee  crosses  the  southern  border,  the  great  central  slate 
belt  succeeds  with  its  steep  regular  icesterly  dips.  This  is  one  of  the  most  extensive,  conspicuous,  and  well 
characterized  terranes  in  the  state,  and  occupies  a  regular  broad  zone  quite  across  the  middle  of  the  state,  its 
breadth  varying  from  25  to  40  miles.  These  rocks  consist  of  a  variety  of  slates — argillite,  chlorite,  quartzite, 
conglomerate,  graphite,  and  pyrnphy  Hi  te.  West  of  this  comes  a  zone  of  granites  and  gneisses,  with  obscure  and  confused 
structure  and  stratification,  but  with  easterly  dips.  Beyond  this  granite  belt  the  whole  western  region  of  the  state 
is  occupied  by  a  great  body  of  gneisses  and  mica-schists,  interrupted  by  three  narrow  belts  of  slates  and  quartzites 
and  limestones:  one,  irregular  and  broken,  near  the  eastern  border  of  the  terrane  (e.  y.,  King's  mountain);  the 
second  along  the  Blue  Ridge;  the  third  along  the  Smoky  mountains  on  the  western  border.  The  dip  of  the  first  belt 
is  west ;  of  the  second,  east :  of  the  third,  east  and  west.  The  rocks  of  this  zone  are  much  broken  and  disturbed,  and 
the  dips  very  variable  in  amount,  but  almost  uniformly  east.     West  of  the  Blue  Pidge  the  gneisses  are  coarser, 

54'.? 


12  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

more  massive,  and  thick-bedded,  and  also  more  tilted  and  broken.  They  are  conspicuously  characterized  by 
numerous  and  very  large  veins  or  dikes  of  very  coarse  granite,  in  which  have  been  opened  many  valuable  mica 
mines.  • 

The  whole  Archaean  formation  in  the  state  is  metalliferous,  containing  large  bodies  of  magnetic  iron  ore  and 
hematites,  and  gold  and  copper  ores  in  all  its  zones  from  east  to  west.  They  have  yielded  also  a  notable  number 
of  gems,  and  the  species  of  minerals,  many  of  them  of  great  rarity,  number  180. 

Agricultural  regions. — The  agricultural  regions  do  not  correspond  with  the  topographical  divisions.  The 
eastern  division  is  subdivided  agriculturally  into  two  Subordinate  regions.  That  which  lies  next  the  coast  may  be 
denominated  the  seaboard  region.  This  is  a  region  of  swamps  and  savannas  and  wide  alluvial  tracts  and  semi- 
swamps,  as  also  of  oak,  pine,  and  beech  flats.  Its  elevation  above  tide  is  limited  to  5  or  10  feet  for  the  most  part,  only 
occasionally  rising  to  15  or  20  feet.  It  includes  also  tracts  of  marsh  on  the  shores  of  the  sounds  and  the  margins  of 
long-leaf  pine  ridges,  and  the  sea-shore  is  formed  by  a  narrow  fringe  of  sand  islands,  which  separate  the  seunds 
from  the  sea. 

The  second  region,  which  lies  next  westward,  may  be  described  as  the  long-leaf  pine  region.  The  soils  of  this 
region  are  predominantly  sandy.  It  includes  the  soils  characterized  as  "  sand-hills  or  pine  barrens"  and  the  level 
"upland  piny-woods  soils",  the  growth  of  the  former  being  almost  exclusively  long-leaf  pine,  with  a  scrub  growth 
of  black-jack  oak  and  scattered  tufts  of  wire-grass,  and  that  of  the  latter  long-leaf  pine,  mingled  with  the  short- 
leaf  species  (Pinus  tccda  and  P.  scrotina),  oaks,  hickory,  dogwood,  etc.,  its  soil  being  a  gray  sandy  loam.  There  are 
also  large  tracts  of  long-leaf  pine  flats  and  mixed  long-  and  short-leaf  pine  and  oak  flats  with  similar  soils,  but  of 
finer  and  closer  texture. 

The  two  next  topographical  divisions  (Midland  and  Piedmont)  may  be  included  in  one  agricultural  region,  viz, 
the  oak  uplands  region,  and  the  western  division  will  be  called  the  transmontane  region.  From  the  description  before 
given  of  the  geology  of  these  two  regions  of  the  state  it  is  evident  that  the  soils  are  of  every  variety  of  texture  and 
composition,  corresponding  to  the  whole  wide  range  of  the  metamorphic  or  Archaean  rocks.  They  may  be  grouped 
in  a  general  description  under  the  designation  of  gray  and  yellow  sandy  and  gravelly  loams  and  red-clay  soils. 
The  subsoil,  generally  yellow  or  red  clay,  is  occasionally  gray  sandy  or  gravelly  loam,  and  in  the  bottoms  often 
pipe-clay.  In  general,  it  may  be  stated  that  wherever  the  underlying  rocks  are  hornblendic,  composed  of  syenite, 
hornblende  schist,  or  trap,  the  soils  are  red  or  mulatto  or  chocolate-colored  and  clayey. 

THE  SEABOARD  EEGION. 

This  region  abounds  in  lakes,  bays,  rivers,  and  sounds.  Its  water  surface  covers  upward  of  5,000  srjuare  miles. 
That  portion  which  lies  between  the  two  great  sounds,  Albemarle  and  Pamlico,  covers  an  area  of  above  2,000 
square  miles,  only  a  small  part  of  which  rises  more  than  10  feet  above  tide,  a  large  portion  being  below  5  feet.  The 
major  part  of  this  intersouud  tract,  formerly  called  Alligator  swamp,  is  swamp,  peat,  and  marsh  land.  There  are 
several  lakes  in  the  interior  of  this  swamp  which  are  bordered  by  narrow  fringes  of  rich  black-loam  soil  of  inexhaustible 
fertility.  These  lakes  are,  or  were,  covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  gum  (tupelo),  cypress,  ash,  maple,  etc.  The  more 
peaty  and  untillable  tracts  abound  in  cypress  and  juniper,  and  have  long  furnished  the  markets  of  the  continent  with 
these  timbers,  while  those  lying  next  the  sounds  and  rivers  are  frequently  semi-swamps  or  oak,  beech,  and  pine  flats, 
and  have  a  rich  gray  or  ash-colored  clay-loam  soil.  That  portion  of  the  seaboard  region  which  lies  northward  of 
Albemarle  sound  consists  mainly  of  low-lying,  level,  clay-loam  lands  or  semi-swamps,  which  are  heavily  timbered 
with  oaks,  hickory,  ash,  maple,  and  short-leaf  pine  (Pinus  tceda),  often  passing  into  cypress  and  juniper  swamps 
along  the  rivers  and  into  the  great  Dismal  swamp,  which  lies  partly  in  this  state. 

These  lands,  when  cleared  and  drained,  resemble  the  prairie  lands  of  the  northwest,  and  equal  them  in  fertility. 
Along  the  ridges  or  swells  between  the  bay-like  rivers  of  this  section  are  narrow  tracts  of  sandy  soil  with  long-leaf 
pine  growth.  A  large  part  of  this  Albemarle  section  also  lies  below  the  level  of  10  feet  above  tide.  Similar  tracts 
to  those  above  described,  that  is  to  say,  oak  and  pine  flats,  are  found  lying  also  near  the  bays  and  water-courses 
and  fringing  the  swamps  in  the  southern  parts  of  the  seaboard  region  along  the  coast  to  the  South  Carolina  line. 

The  tops  of  the  higher  swells  of  land  between  the  great  rivers  of  this  region,  and  sometimes  the  slopes  and 
lower  levels,  are  frequently  occupied  by  the  description  of  swamp  land  known  as  "pocoson".  These  have  for  the 
most  part  a  close,  impervious,  fine  sandy,  gray  or  ash-colored  soil,  with  patches  of  cold,  stiff  brick-clay  and  of 
black  soil  composed  of  coarse  sand  and  vegetable  matter.  The  subsoil  is  of  the  same  texture,  with  a  little  clay, 
and  is  of  a  yellowish  color.  The  pocoson  is  commonly  covered  with  a  scattered  or  clumpy  growth  of  scrub  pine  (pond 
pine,  P.  scrotina),  with  clumps  of  white  bay  or  with  copses  of  gallberry  bushes  and  bramble  vines  and  tufts  of 
wire-grass  and  broom  sedge,  and  an  occasional  loblolly  pine  (P.  tceda),  and  are  quite  valueless.  The  pocoson  lands 
occupying  this  topographical  position  are  the  sources  of  the  tributaries  of  the  rivers,  and  are  flat  and  covered 
with  water  more  than  half  the  year,  but  are  dry  and  cracked  in  summer.  They  are  usually  fringed  about  with 
narrow,  irregular  strips  of  canebrake  or  gum  and  cypress  swamps  of  dark  loamy  soils,  and  with  oak  flats,  which 
have  gray  clay-loam  soils.     These  border  tracts  are  very  fertile. 

544 


PHYSICO-GEOGRAPHICAL  AND  AGRICULTURAL  FEATURES.  13 

The  savanna  is  another  type  of  soil,  and  is  found  here  and  there  among  the  pocosons  and  pine  flats  in  patches 
of  from  a  few  hundred  acres  to  3  or  4  square  miles  in  extent.  These  savannas  are  very  flat  and  treeless,  and  are 
covered  with  grass.  The  soil  is  wet,  cold,  close,  flue  sandy,  often  black  with  humus;  the  subsoil  is  yellowish,  with 
more  clay. 

On  or  near  the  highest  parts  of  the  divides  or  water-sheds  are  frequently  found  small  lakes  of  3  or  4  to  15  or  20 
square  miles.  In  this  case  there  is  commonly  a  margin,  of  varying  width,  of  rich  swamp  (gum  and  cypress)  lands 
next  the  lakes.  There  are  also  here  and  there  throughout  the  region  narrow  belts  of  long-leaf  pine  and  sandy  land, 
which  frequently  reach  the  coast  south  of  Pamlico. 

A  most  notable  feature  of  the  region  is  the  fringe  of  linear  sand  islands,  called  "The  Banks",  that  wall' 
off  the  Atlantic  along  the  entire  coast.  These  constitute,  in  fact,  an  almost  continuous  sand-dune,  broken  here 
and  there  by  narrow  inlets,  having  a  breadth  of  from  a  few  rods  to  a  half  mile  or  more,  narrowing  occasionally  to  a 
mere  low  beach,  over  which  the  waves  break  into  the  sound,  and  again  widening  to  1  or  2  miles,  as  at  Hatteras,  and  to 
3  or  4  miles  opposite  Albemarle  sound.  This  dune,  or  sand  wave,  is  moving  inland,  the  fine  particles  being  continually 
carried  over  into  the  sounds,  converting  their  outer  margins  into  marsh,  and  gradually  adding  these  to  their  own 
breadth.  The  average  elevation  of  the  crests  of  these  islands,  which  are  generally  next  to  the  sounds,  is  only  a 
few  feet  or  yards  above  high  tide,  but  they  are  commonly  broken  into  rounded  hillocks  25,  30,  and  40  feet  high. 
Opposite  Roanoke  island  these  hillocks  rise  to  a  height  of  75  and  90  feet,  and  in  front  of  Albemarle  sound  they  exceed 
100  feet.  Here  they  are  quite  bare,  and  rise  in  great  waves,  which  are  continually  shifting  their  places,  moving 
in  a  southwest  direction  at  the  rate  of  from  1  to  3  feet  per  annum.  These  islands  were  originally,  and  are  still 
here  and  there,  covered  with  forests  of  small  oaks,  hickory,  short-leaf  pine,  dogwood,  etc.,  and  in  many  parts  with 
red  cedar  and  live  oak  and  the  noted  evergreen  shrub,  cassena,  or  yaupon.  The  dwarf  palmetto  is  found  in  the 
white-oak  flats  south  of  Pamlico  and  in  the  region  of  the  Cape  Fear,  and  as  far  up  as  Hatteras  the  larger  species 
(sabal  palmetto)  thrives. 

A  very  small  proportion  of  the  area  of  the  seaboard  region  is  adapted  to  cotton,  not  more  than  100  bales 
being  produced  in  some  counties,  and  the  whole  product  of  the  region  does  not  reach  37,000  bales.  The  chief  crops 
are  corn,  wheat,  sweet  potatoes,  peanuts,  and  rice,  and  latterly,  in  many  sections,  vegetables  and  Irish  potatoes  for 
the  northern  market.  Lumbering  in  pine,  cypress,  and  juniper  and  turpentine-getting  have  long  been  among  the 
most  important  industries.  The  shad  and  herring  fisheries  are  conducted  on  an  immense  scale,  often  with  seines 
1J  miles  long  worked  by  steam,  and  the  taking  of  other  species  of  fish  carries  this  form  of  industry  through  nearly 
the  whole  year.     The  region  abounds  in  natural  pasturage,  and  is  well  adapted  to  cattle  and  sheep  raising. 

The  following  analyses,  made  for  the  North  Carolina  geological  survey  by  Messrs.  Bogardus  and  Hanna,  are 
given  of  samples  of  the  different  classes  of  soils  of  the  seaboard  region : 

1.  Soils  of  gum  and  cypress  swamps. — All  these  are  fine  corn  soils,  but  will  not  grow  cotton,  as  it  runs 
to  weed  and  never  matures: 

No.  21.  Bark  mucky,  porous  soil  on  the  southern  margin  of  Mattamuskeet  lake,  in  Hyde  county;  6  feet  deep. 
The  mineral  matter  is  in  a  state  of  very  fine  comminution.  Timber  growth,  gum  (tupelo),  cypress,  ash,  poplar 
{Liriodendron),  etc.     The  land  produces  from  50  to  GO  bushels  of  corn  to  the  acre  (Emmons). 

No.  22.  Bark  mucky,  porous  soil  from  the  north  side  of  Mattamuskeet  lake,  Hyde  county;  same  depth,  growth, 
etc.  Fields  alongside  those  from  which  the  samples  were  taken  have  produced  from  50  to  60  bushels  of  corn  to  the 
acre  for  more  than  100  years  without  manure  or  change  of  crop  (Emmons). 

No.  23.  Bark  mucky,  porous  soil,  3  to  4  feet  deep,  with  same  growth,  from  a  large  swamp  on  Blount's  creek,  on 
the  south  side  of  Pamlico  river,  12  miles  from  Washington,  Beaufort  county;  sample  taken  1  foot  deep. 

No.  24.  Bark  muck  and  porous  soil,  2  feet  deep,  from  Bear  swamp,  in  Pamlico  county. 

No.  25.  Cypress  and  gum  swamp  soil,  near  the  southern  border  of  White  Oak  swamp,  Jones  county,  2  to  4  feet 
deep.     Produces  50  bushels  of  corn  to  the  acre. 

No.  26.  Black  mucky  soil,  5  to  10  and  15  feet  deep,  from  Big  swamp,  on  the  border  of  Bladen  and  Eobeson 
counties;  a  tract  of  30,000  acres.     Timber  growth  same  as  No.  21. 

No.  27.  Black  and  my.cky  soil  from  swamp  on  Eagle's  island,  across  the  Cape  Fear  river  from  Wilmington, 
Brunswick  county,  of  many  fathoms  depth.     Growth,  gum,  cypress,  cane;  an  inexhaustible  rice  soil. 

No.  28.  Black  and  mucky  soil  from  a  field  cultivated  in  rice  100  years,  which  borders  No.  27. 

2.  Soils  of  semi-swamps,  akd  of  oak,  beech,  and  pine  flats. 

No.  29.  Bark  gray  soil  {semi-swamp)  from  margin  of  Bear  swamp,  Pamlico  county ;  depth,  2  feet ;  the  subsoil  ia 
lighter  colored  and  sandy.  Growth,  gum,  (tupelo  and  sweet),  poplar,  maple,  and  ash.  This  is  a  good  cotton  land, 
and  much  of  it  occurs  in  this  county  and  region. 

No.  30.  Bark  gray  and  gravelly  loam  from  beech  flat  at  Stonewall,  south  side  of  Bay  river,  Pamlico  county. 
Growth,  beech,  gum,  maple,  and  oak.  This  is  an  excellent  cotton  and  corn  land,  and  makes  a  bale  to  the  acre. 
Large  bodies  of  this  description  of  land  occur  in  the  county. 

No.  31.  Light-gray  to  ash-colored  soil  from  a  white  oak  flat  half  a  mile  wide  at  the  head  of  North  river,  on  the 
southern  border  of  Open  Ground  Prairie  swamp,  in  Carteret  county.  Growth,  white  oak,  gum,  maple,  short-leaf 
pine  (P.  tmda),  and  dwarf  palmetto.  This  soil  represents  extensive  bodies  of  land  on  the  borders  of  this  and  all  the 
great  swamps  south  and  west  of  this  point,  and  is  a  good  corn  and  cotton  land. 

35  c  p — vol.  ii  545 


14 


COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


No.  32.  Gray  light  loamy  soil  from  semi-swamp  near  Morehead  City,  Carteret  county.  Growth  same  as  in  No. 
29,  and  like  that  in  appearance  and  adaptations 

No.  33.  Gray  gravelly  soil  of  oak  flat  near  Whiteville,  Columbus  county,  taken  1  foot  deep.  Growth,  willow 
oak,  ash,  sweet  and  black  gums,  poplar,  and  maple.  This  soil  represents  a  great  area  of  land  in  the  region  on  the 
borders  of  the  swamp,  and  is  a  good  cotton  and  corn  soil. 

No.  3i.  Dark-gray  and  ash-colored  soil  of  Dover  pocoson,  flat  and  wet,  Craven  county;  dark  gray  and  ash- 
colored,  and  has  a  growth  of  scrubby  pine,  wire-grass,  anil  low  thicketty  brush.  This  soil  has  a  close,  fine  texture, 
and  is  as  impervious  as  clay.  This  is  a  common  type  of  pocoson,  but  often  the  sand  is  coarse  and  the  vegetable 
matter  runs  up  to  SO  and  90  per  cent.,  in  which  case  the  growth  is  gallberry  and  scrub  pine,  with  clumps  of  white 
bay  bushes  and  brambles. 

No.  35.  Savanna  soil,  Beaufort  county,  near  Pungo  river,  a  level  prairie  of  4  or  5  square  miles,  flat,  treeless, 
and  covered  with  grass.  This  soil  is  gray  to  yellowish  in  color,  has  a  close,  fine  texture,  and  is  almost  impervious  to 
water. 

No.  36.  Soil  of  Burgaic  savanna,  in  Pender  county,  25  miles  north  of  Wilmington.  This  soil  is  like  the  last, 
and  is  nearly  as  extensive.  It  is  dark  colored,  with  a  yellowish,  more  clayey  subsoil.  Both  this  and  No.  35  are 
fair  soils  when  drained. 

Gum  and  cypress  swamp  lands. 


Insoluble  residue . 

Soluble  silica 

Potash 

Soda 

Lime 

Magnesia 

Peroxide  of  iron . . . 

Alumina 

Phosphoric  acid . . . 

Sulphuric  acid 

Organic  matter 

Water 


Total. 


Hyde  couxtt. 


LAKE  MATTAJHUSKEET. 


South  side. 


Soil 


North  aide. 


BLOUNT  CREEK 


BEAU  SWAMf. 


Soil. 


No.  21. 


43.  00 
0.03 


■  43.  03 

0.16 
0.18 
0.12 
0.12 

6.40 

0.30 

0.04 

47.10 


No.  22. 


34.60; 
0.  40  i 


Soil. 


SoU. 


No.  23. 


No.  24. 


BRUNSWICK  cocxtt. 


WHITE    OAK      ; 
6WAJTP. 


BIG  6WA3IP. 


EAGLE  6  ISLAND. 


J  35.  00 

0.18 
0.10 
0.27 
0.27 
3.70 
5.10 
0.12 


59.  24  ^ 
1.86  5 


61.10 

0.79 
0.69 
1.62 
1.08 

13.78 


71.30) 
5.  90  J 


Soil. 


No.  25. 


04.74 


0.  OS 


0.12 
0.13 
1.39 
1.23 
0.00 


38.80 
12.30 


0.22 
20.80 


100.  08 


17.  50 
2.30 


100.  01 


68.  34 

0.05 
0.02 
0.10 
0.29 
0.30 
S.83 
0.06 
0.21 
22.  80 
4.20 


Soil 


No.  20. 


52.20 
0.60 


SoU. 


No.  27. 


1.16 

0.55 

6.09 

0.34 
0.C5 

38.41 


32.36 

0.96 
0.26 
0.56 


Cultivated 
soil. 


4.92 

0.45 
1.30 

59.19 


99.70 


100.00    ' 


100.00 


No.  28. 


62.22 
0.46 


1.54 
0.23 

20.35 

Trace. 
0.23 

12.43 


Semi-sicamps,  oal;,  beech,  and  pine  flats. 


Pamlico 

COUXTT. 

Calteeet  COUXTT. 

COLUMBUS 
COUXTY. 

BEAR  SWAMP. 

BAT  BTVEB. 

FEAJRIE  BWiMP. 

XEAB  MOREHEAD. 

XEAB  WHITE- 
VILLE. 

Soil. 

Soil. 

SoiL 

Soil 

Son. 

No.  29. 

No.  30. 

No.  31. 

No.  32. 

No.  33. 

62.  64  ) 

!  60.  50 
3.86  5 

0.90 

0.68 

0.68 

0.  5S 

I                   10. 30 

Trace. 

0.43 

I                   19. 60 

69.  28  ) 

,„  „-  [81.33 

12.  05  ' 

0.24 

80-84  584.54 
3. 70  5 

0.07 

0.02 

0.44 

0.22 

1.18 

69.07) 

>  13.  bt 
6.80  > 

0.07 

85. 15  )  „„  _ 
J  86.  72 
1.57  5 

Trace. 

0.45 

1.67 

0.38. 

1                     5.12 

0.02 

0.03 
4.41 
1.32 

; 

1 

0.29 
0.09 
1.46 
4.90 
0.04 
0.03 
9.60 
2.10 

0.20 
0.07 
1.12 

2.  69                            4.  25 
0.  08                            0. 13 
0.  06                            0.  08 
7.  70                           13.  00 
2.  50                            4.  80 

Water 

Total  

99.67 

| 

100.  08 

99.  50     '                      99.  59 

100.12     i 

54« 


PHYSICO-GEOGRAPHICAL  AND  AGRICULTURAL  FEATURES. 


15 


Pocoson  and  savanna  soils. 


Cbaven  couktt. 

Beaufoet 

COUNTY. 

Pendeb  county. 

DOVEE  POCOSON. 

PUNGO  SAVANNA. 

BUEOAW  SA- 
VANNA. 

SoiL 

Soil. 

Soil.' 

No.  34. 

No.  35. 

No.  36. 

|                  70. 50 

f      86.89i        ni 
!               J  90. 94 
I      4. 05  3 

0.02 

0.17 

0.20 

0.11 

r                     1.16 

I                      2.77 

0.11 

92.66 

0.86 
0.34 
0.22 
0.40 

I                   1.31 

0.12 
0.  K 

|                   4.88 

0.01 

\                     0.76 

25.20 
2.70 

4.55 
0.55 

Total 

99.17 

100.58 

160.  92 

[Soils  Nos.  21  to  28  inclusive  represent  a  class  in  which  great  depth  is  an  important  factor  in  determining  the 
degree  and  duration  of  productiveness.  In  some  cases,  as  in  Nos.  21,  24,  and  25,  the  plant-food  percentages  are  quite 
low ;  yet,  being  distributed  through  an  easily  penetrable  soil  stratum  of  unusual  thickness,  and  containing  a  relatively 
large  proportion  of  lime,  there  is  cause  for  their  high  productiveness  when  fresh.  But  this  evidently  cannot  endure 
long.  In  the  cases  of  Nos.  22, 26,  27,  and  probably  No.  23,  the  plant-food  percentages  are  such  as  would  be  accounted 
from  fair  to  very  high,  and,  taking  the  depth  into  consideration,  such  soils  as  Nos.  2G  and  27  are  of  extraordinary 
fertility.  If  the  comparison  between  Nos.  27  and  28 — the  former  fresh,  the  other  cultivated  in  rice  for  a  century — 
be  a  fair  one,  the  influence  of  cultivation  in  diminishing  the  prominent  ingredients,  potash  and  phosphoric  acid, 
is  here  very  strikingly  shown  by  the  analysis  ;  but  the  great  difference  in  the  respective  amounts  of  humus  and 
insoluble  matter  renders  the  strict  comparability  somewhat  doubtful. 

Soil  No.  29,  said  to  be  from  the  margin  of  Bear  swamp,  seems  to  differ  only  in  depth  from  that  of  the  lower 
lands  (Nos.  23,  26,  and  27),  and  resembles  them  in  the  large  amount  of  vegetable  matter  and  potash.  Soil  No.  24 
differs  so  widely  from  this,  and  in  such  a  manner,  as  to  induce  a  suspicion  that  the  specimens  were  exchanged, 
and  that  No.  29  is  the  true  representative  of  the  low  land  of  Bear  swamp.  Both  are  alike  poor  in  phosphoric  acid. 
Of  soils  Nos.  30  to  33,  the  first  only  has  a  fair  percentage  of  potash  The  rest  are  low  in  this  respect,  No  33  being 
apparently  very  deficient,  but  its  very  high  percentage  of  lime  ekes  out  for  a  time  this  deficiency  as  well  as  that 
in  phosphoric  acid.  It  must  be  of  considerable  depth  to  be  at  all  durable.  No.  32  has  a  good  supply  of  phosphates, 
with  only  a  moderate  amount  of  lime,  while  in  Nos.  31  and  30  a  relatively  large  lime-percentage  offsets  a  lower  one 
of  phosphates. 

The  analysis  of  the  pocoson  soil  is  too  incomplete  to  determine  its  character  definitely ;  yet  the  very  small 
percentages  of  lime  and  alumina  are  instructive.  Its  defects  are  probably  chiefly  mechanical,  in  that  it  is  a  fine 
silt  with  very  little  clay,  without  enough  lime  to  prevent  its  being  acid  or  to  give  it  a  tendency  to  tilth.  The 
inference  is  that,  first  of  all,  it  should  be  heavily  limed  or  marled  and  deeply  tilled.  Whether  or  not  it  is  otherwise 
deficient  in  plan»-food  does  not  appear,  but  lime  is  in  any  case  its  first  need.  Its  extensive  occurrence  renders 
this  experiment  of  great  interest. 

Of  the  savanna  soils,  No.  36  can  owe  any  difficulties  in  cultivation  to  its  mechanical  composition  only,  it  being 
high  in  potash  and  fair  in  lime  and  phosphoric  acid,  while  No.  35  is  markedly  deficient  in  potash.  Liming  or  marling 
would  also  doubtless  greatly  improve  these  two  soils.  It  is  noteworthy  that,  on  the  whole,  these  seaboard  swamp 
and  savanna  soils  of  Xorth  Carolina  are  fairly  and  sometimes  highly  supplied  with  lime;  an  ingredient  so  notably 
deficient  in  most  of  the  lands  bordering  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  west  of  the  peninsula  of  Florida.  The  latter  are  mostly 
acid,  and  their  vegetable  matter  is  washed  away  in  the  drainage,  while  on  the  above  soils  humus  is  formed  and 
retained  under  the  influence  of  lime. — E.  W.  H.l 


THE  LONG-LEAF  PINE  REGION. 

The  second  division,  or  long-leaf  pine  region,  covers  a  large  part  of  the  state,  roughly  estimated  at  15,000  square 
miles,  and  includes  within  its  area  all  or  parts  of  forty  or  more  counties  lying  between  the  metamornhic  or  oak 
uplands  region  and  the  sea-coast. 

This  region  it  may  be  subdivided  into  three  classes,  viz:  Sandy  pine  barrens,  level  and  rolling  upland  piny  woods, 
and  pine  flats,  in  all  of  which  the  long  leaf  species  of  pine  is  predominant.  The  entire  region  is  characterized,  as 
stated,  by  gray  and  yellow  sandy  loams  and  sandy  soils. 

547 


16  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

Sandy  pine  barrens. — Those  portions  of  this  region  which  are  properly  characterized  by  the  term  "sand-hills", 
or  "  pine  barrens ",  lie  for  the  most  part  in  the  southern  half  of  the  belt.  The  rivers  which  traverse  and  the 
water-courses  which  rise  in  it  are  frequently  bordered  by  wide  tracts  of  from  1  to  3  and  5  miles'  breadth  of  cypress 
swamp,  which  is  characterized  by  a  deep  black  peaty  soil,  and  by  a  growth  of  cypress,  gum,  ash,  and  maple, 
and  often  of  cane.  These  soils,  when  drained,  are  of  the  greatest  fertility  and  durability.  The  soils  of  the  sand- 
hills are  almost  pure  sand,  and  are  of  extreme  infertility.  This  description  of  soil  occupies  a  comparatively  small 
proportion  of  the  whole  area. 

The  sandy  soil  is  generally  only  from  a  few  inches  to  1  or  2  feet  deep,  occasionally  3  or  4  feet,  and  is  commonly 
underlaid  by  a  yellow  or  brown  sandy  or  gravelly  subsoil ;  but  sometimes  there  are  mere  alternations  of  beds  of 
different  colored  sands  to  unknown  depths,  and  in  other  cases,  at  a  depth  of  8  or  10  feet  or  more,  are  half-compacted 
sandy  and  gravelly  earths,  gray  and  yellow,  in  which  the  channels  of  the  streams  are  cut  with  steep,  canal-like, 
often  vertical  banks. 

The  forests  are  usually  open  and  park-like,  with  tufts  of  wire-grass  and  occasional  patches  of  tufted  broom-sedge 
(mdropogon);  but  often -there  is  an  undergrowth  of  small  black-jack  and  other  worthless  species  of  oak. 

In  the  midst  of  the  largest  bodies  of  sand-hill  lands  there  are  occasional  tracts  of  a  fair  grade  of  cultivable 
land,  generally  found  on  or  near  the  watercourses.  The  sand-hill  soils  proper  will  produce  almost  nothing;  they 
furnish,  however,  a  scanty  pasturage  iu  the  swampy  tracts  which  abound  along  the  numerous  sluggish  streams. 
The  yaupon  and  the  scuppernong  grape  flourish  even  in  these  sand  wastes. 

Nearly  all  the  lands  of  this  description  are  found  on  the  waters  of  the  Cape  Fear  south  of  the  Neuse,  and  in 
the  southern  half  of  the  belt.     Only  a  few  small  tracts  lie  north  of  this  section. 

The  cotton  product  of  this  pine-kill  or  sand-hill  section  proper  is  very  small,  not  exceeding  20,000  bales.  The 
rivers  and  creeks  of  this  region  often  have  wide  tracts  of  bottom  laud,  or  are  flanked  by  swamps  or  oak  and  pine 
flats,  and  on  these  are  made  crops  of  corn,  potatoes,  and  rice.  Cotton  is  grown  on  the  better  class  of  uplands  of 
mixed  oaks  and  pines,  which  are  interspersed  among  the  sandy  tracts. 

Level  and  rolling  upland  piny  woods. — The  common  type  of  land  of  the  long-leaf  pine  region  may  be 
characterized  as  level  and  rolling  piny  uplands,  the  soil  being  a  gray  to  yellow  sandy  loam,  sometimes  clayey  or 
silty,  with  a  forest  growth  of  long-  and  short-leaf  pines,  oaks,  hickory,  dogwood,  etc.  These  lands  are  of  medium 
fertility,  easily  drained  and  cultivated,  and  constitute  the  great  body  of  the  most  valuable  cotton  lands  of  the 
state.  Most  of  the  long-leaf  pine  belt  north  of  the  Neuse  is  of  this  character,  and  here  one-half  of  the  cotton  of 
the  state  is  made — one-third  of  it  in  a  dozen  counties. 

The  subsoil  is  commonly  a  yellow  sandy  or  gravelly  clay,  which  is  found  at  a  depth  of  from  5  to  8  or  10,  and 
sometimes  20  inches  or  more.  The  growth,  as  stated,  is  composed  of  long-leaf  pines  as  the  predominant  element 
of  the  forests,  generally  mixed  with  short-leaf  pines  (which  sometimes  almost  or  quite  replace  them)  and  with  a 
subordinate  oak  forest,  which  changes  its  character  with  the  ^hanging  topography  and  texture  of  the  soil.  In  the 
better  grades  of  rolling  and  yellow-loam  lauds  hickory  and  dogwood  enter  largely,  and  on  the  flatter  tracts,  with 
their  close  ash-colored  soil,  sweet  gum,  maple,  and  elm  become  prominent. 

Pine  fats. — In  some  portions  of  this  region,  chiefly  in  the  section  lying  north  of  the  Neuse  river  and  parallel  to 
it,  there  are  wide  stretches  of  open  long-leaf  pine  woods,  with  a  few  scattered  oaks  of  small  size  and  stunted  gums 
and  low  huckleberry  bushes,  wire-grass,  and  broom-sedge.  The  surface  is  very  level,  and  is  interspersed  with  frequent 
swampy  patches,  having  a  scrubby  growth  of  bay,  maple,  gallberry,  myrtle,  and  other  swamp  jungle.  The  soil  is  an 
ash-colored  silty  clay,  with  alternating  patches  of  sandy  soil,  underlaid  by  a  gray  stiff  clay  or  fine  sand  and  clay  equally 
impervious.  These  flats  are  very  unproductive,  and  are  valuable  only  for  turpentine  and  lumber.  North  of  the 
Roanoke,  lying  partly  in  Bertie  and  partly  in  Hertford  counties,  there  is  another  large  body  of  land  of  the  same 
character. 

Another  class  of  pine  flats,  more  properly  pine  and  oak  flats,  differs  from  the  ordinary  level  pine  woods  in  having 
a  more  clayey  soil,  commonly  ash-colored,  with  a  clay  subsoil,  and  a  frequent  large  admixture  of  short-leaf  (slash) 
pine,  with  post  oak  and  white  oak,  and  are  usually  more  productive  and  more  durable.  These  tracts  generally  lie 
near  water-courses.  A  good  example  of  this  description  of  land  is  found  in  Scotland  Neck,  Halifax  county,  on 
Kehukee  creek.  The  typical  pine  flats,  however,  have  a  forest  growth  almost  exclusively  of  long-leaf  pine, 
sometimes  with  a  few  scattered  small  oaks,  post  oak  and  black  oak,  or  a  scattered  scrubby  undergrowth,  with  a  soil 
and  subsoil  as  above  described.  These  lands  are  of  fair  quality,  and  produce  well  when  properly  drained.  A  good 
example  may  be  seen  about  Selma  and  eastward  in  Johnston  county,  and  also  on  Six  Runs  creek,  in  Sampson  county. 

The  following  analyses  (made  for  the  Census  Office)  are  given  of  samples  of  the  lands  of  this  region  : 

No.  11.  Light  gray  soil  from  near  Sparta,  Edgecombe  county.  Depth  taken,  3  inches;  growth,  long-leaf  pine, 
small  oaks,  and  dogwood.  This  is  a  fair  type  of  the  "piny- woods  cotton  land",  is  easily  cultivated,  and  is  naturally 
poor,  but  by  composting  will  produce  1,200  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre. 

No.  12.  Subsoil  of  the  above,  light  yellowish  in  color,  from  10  to  15  inches  deep,  and  underlaid  by  a  brick  clay. 

No.  13.  Gray  sandy  loam  soil  from  Penny  Hill,  Pitt  county,  taken  11  inches.  Growth,  long-leaf  pine,  oak, 
hickory,  and  dogwood ;  the  trees  are  tall  and  straight.  This  is  the  best  cotton  land  of  the  level  piny  woods,  and 
"  stands  well,  wet  or  dry." 

No.  14.  Subsoil  of  the  above,  a  tenacious  clay. 

5-18 


PHYSICO-GEOGRAPHICAL  AND  AGRICULTURAL  FEATURES. 


17 


No.  15.  Gray  sandy  loam  of  the  level  piny  woods  5  miles  north  of  Princeton,  Johnston  county,  taken  7  inches. 
Growth,  long-leaf  pine,  small  post  and  black-jack  oaks,  and  wire-grass.    This  is  the  "  ordinary  piny  woodscotton  land". 

No.  16.  Subsoil  of  the  above,  a  yellow  sandy  loam,  taken  from  7  to  20  inches  deep. 

So.  17.  Gray  sandy  loam  soil,  taken  3  miles  from  the  upland  level  piny  woods  near  Weldon,  Halifax  county, 
depth  1  inch.  Growth,  short-leaf  pine,  oaks,  a  little  hickory,  and  dogwood.  The  soil  is  "  light  and  dry,  miry  in  wet, 
and  bakes  in  dry  weather  after  much  rain". 

No.  18.  Subsoil  of  the  above,  a  light-yellowish  loam. 

No.  19.  Soil  from  the  level  upland  pine  woods  near  Wilson  Court-House,  Wilson  county. 

No.  20.  Subsoil  of  "Lousin  swamp"  lands,  7  miles  north  of  Kingston,  Lenoir  county,  taken  from  15  to  20  inches. 
The  soil  is  a  dark  loam  with  much  more  vegetable  matter  and  less  of  all  the  other  elements,  notably  of  lime  and 
magnesia.  Growth,  willow  oak,  sweet  and  black  gum,  maple,  and  short-leaf  pine,  scattered  and  large;  a  good  cotton 
and  com  soil. 

No.  37.  Light  gray  pine  flats  soil  from  a  tract  of  pine  flat  lands  in  Johnston  county  near  the  town  of  Selma, 
around  which  such  lands  extend  several  miles ;  taken  12  inches  deep.  Growth,  long-leaf  pine,  small  oaks,  and  sweet 
and  black  gum.  This  sod  is  somewhat  lumpy  and  clay-like  in  appearance,  but  is  a  fair  type  of  the  better  quality  of 
pine  flats.     (Analysis  was  made  by  Messrs.  Bogardus  and  Hanna.) 

Soils  of  the  level  upland  piny  woods. 


Insoluble  matter 

Soluble  silica 

Potasb  

Soda 

Lime 

Magnesia 

Brown  oxide  of  manganese 
Peroxide  of  iron 

■   AlnmiTifl- ._ 

1  Phosphoric  acid 

Sulphuric  acid 

Water  and  organic  matter . 

Total 

Hygroscopic  moisture 

absorbed  at 


Edgecombe  county. 


SoU. 


No.  11. 


91. 433  ) 
2.  951  i 


Subsoil. 


Pitt  county. 


PENNY   HILL. 


SoU. 


SubsoU. 


No.  12. 


94. 384 

0.093 
0.033 

0.052 

0.006 

0.031  | 

0.753 

1.559 

0.061 

0.034 

2.754 


91.  842  ) 
3.  514  J 


95.  356 

0.087 
0.029 
0.019 
0.025 
0.029 
1.766 
1.563 
0.101 
0.040 
1.175 


No.  13. 


No.  14. 


77.  735 
4.016 


)    „,   „.,        77.520) 
£    81.751  > 

>  5.  915  5 


99.760 


2.391 
21.8C0 


2.190 
SC.° 


0.204 
0.109 
0.177 
0.073 
0.091 
4.786 
7.398 
0.143 
0.154 
5.760 


6.710 
20.  5  C.° 


83.  435 

0.226 
0.090 
0.125 
0.042 
0.090 
3.815 
8.603 
0.126 
0.178 
3.697 


100.  427 


5.847 
19.4C.° 


Johnston  county. 


FHLNCETON. 


SoU. 


Subsoil. 


No.  15. 


94. 810  j 
1.  283  i 


96.  093 

0.085 
0.037 
0.045 
0.030 
0.101 
0.368 
1.314 
0.071 
0.048 
2.406 


1.876 
25.  5  C.° 


No.  16. 


93.  276  ; 
3.  567  ! 


96.843 

0.060 
0.012 
0.037 
0.018 
0.035 
0.564 
1.638 
0.049 
0.005 
0.634 


99.  895 


25.  5C.° 


Insoluble  matter 

Soluble  silica 

Potash 

Soda 

Lime 

Magnesia 

Brown  oxide  of  manganese 

Peroxide  of  iron 

Alumina 

Phosphoric  acid 

Sulphuric  acid 

Water  and  organic  matter. 

Total 

Hygroscopic  moisture 

absorbed  at 


Halifax  county. 


THEEE   MILES  FEOM  WELDON. 


SoU. 


No.  17. 


91.  500  j 
1.  580  i 


93.  080 

0.135 
0.047 
0.123 
0.048 
0.111 
1.580 
2.900 
0.117 
0.040 
1.678 


99.  859 


29.  0  C.° 


SubsoU. 


Wilson  county. 


NEAR  WILSON  COURT- 
HOUSE. 


Soil. 


No.  18. 


72.  058  ) 
9.  879  5 


No.  19. 


LENOIB  COUNTY. 


"LOUSIN  SWAMP" 
NORTH   OF  KINGSTON. 


Soil. 


Johnston  county. 


near  selma. 


Pine-flat  soil. 


No.  20. 


81.  937 

0.447 

0.253 

0.  068  ■ 

0.101 

0.116 

5.244 

8.583 

0.160 

0.013 

3.347 


93.  343  ) 
1.  021  i 


100.  329 


5.  953 


26.  0  C.° 


94.964 

0.049 
0.022 
0.028 
0.052 
0.006 
1.  056 
1.  024 
0.  067 
0.  037 
2.048 


91.818) 
2.  552  i 


.i.i  <ir,;; 


94.  370 

0.051 
0.050 
0.080 
0.051 
0.009 
0.484 
3.740 
0.087 
0.  031 
1.690 


1.552 


16.  0C.° 


16.  0  O.0 


No.  37. 


90.  13  j 
3.67) 


93.80 


0.45 
0.05 


0.70 
1.48 
0.02 
Trace. 
2.84 


9.47 


549 


18  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

[The  extremely  sandy  aDd  droughty  soil  (Nos.  11  and  12)  shows,  on  the  whole,  a  higher  phosphate  percentage 
than  might  be  looked  for ;  but  the  low  percentages  of  potash  and  lime  and  their  decrease  (instead  of  the  usual 
increase)  downward  speaks  of  little  durability.  Nevertheless,  the  application  of  some  lime  or  marl  would  here 
also  be  followed  by  good  results.    Potash  manures  would  probably  also  help  at  once. 

The  surface  soil  from  Pitt  county  (No.  13)  is  of  good  composition  as  regards  the  chiefly  important  elements ; 
but  the  subsoil  of  tenacious  gray  clay,  poorer  than  the  surface  soil  in  lime  and  phosphates,  is  against  it,  and  shows 
the  need  of  liming  and  the  use  of  the  subsoil  plow. 

The  land  represented  by  Nos.  15  and  10  is  a  degree  below  No.  11,  and  like  it  suffers  a  decrease  of  plant-food 
as  the  depth  increases,  even  as  to  phosphates.  Potash  and  lime  are  very  low,  the  phosphates  relatively  more 
abundant.  The  use  of  lime  or  marl  is  here  again  the  first  improvement  called  for ;  then  manure  in  the  widest 
sense. 

In  the  case  of  Nos.  17  and  18,  the  depth  of  the  material  designated  as  subsoil  not  being  given,  the  arable 
stratum  would  appear  to  be  of  good  composition,  except  as  regards  lime,  which,  relatively  to  potash  and  phosphoric 
acid,  is  very  deficient.     Liming  ought  to  increase  greatly  the  production  of  this  soil,  which  promises  fair  durability. 

The  Wilson  county  soil  (No.  19)  appears  exceptionally  poor,  especially  in  lime,  it  being  probably  droughty  and 
shallow,  its  quality  decreasing  downward. 

The  Lousin  swamp  soil  is  exceptionally  poor  in  potash,  but,  being  doubtless  of  considerable  depth,  has  a  relatively 
large  proportion  of  lime  and  phosphoric  acid  for  so  sandy  a  soil. 

The  pine-flat  soil  (No.  37),  if  the  analysis  represents  it  correctly,  stands  only  in  need  of  a  dressing  of  super- 
phosphate to  render  it  fairly  productive,  lime  being  abundant  and  potash  in  adequate  supply,  while  phosphoric 
acid  is  very  deficient. — E.  W.  H.] 

Toward  the  western  limit  of  the  long-leaf  pine  belt,  where  it  rises  to  an  elevation  of  150  and  200  feet,  especially 
near  the  streams,  the  surface  is  frequently  broken  and  hilly,  and  has  a  larger  intermixture  of  short-leaf  pine,  oaks, 
and  hickory  in  its  forests.  Its  soils  are  also  of  a  more  open  and  gravelly  texture,  and  on  the  slopes  near  the  water- 
courses is  a  brown  or  yellow  clay  loam,  having  a  predominant  growth  of  oaks,  so  that  this  narrow,  irregular  border 
tract  furnishes  a  zone  of  passage  from  the  features  of  the  long-leaf  pine  region  into  those  of  the  oak  uplands. 

Besides  the  prevalent  characteristic  forest  trees  above  mentioned  there  are  found,  both  in  the  long-leaf  pine 
and  seaboard  regions,  magnolia  grandiflora,  several  species  of  elm,  and,  near  the  southeast  shore,  live  oak  and  two 
species  of  palmetto. 

It  remains  to  mention  that  almost  the  whole  of  the  long-leaf  pine  belt  and  a  large  part  of  the  seaboard  region 
are  underlaid  by  deposits  of  shell  marl,  and  the  southern  half  by  chalk  marl  and  greensand,  which  crop  out  in 
the  river  banks  and  in  the  ravines,  and  are  often  reached  by  the  farm  ditches.  These  deposits  are  highly  calcareous, 
and  contain  valuable  percentages  of  phosphates  and  alkalies,  and  are  commonly  uncornpacted ;  and  being  thus 
widely  distributed,  are  of  immense  value  to  the  agriculture  of  the  region.  So  obvious  is  their  utility  that  the 
advancement  of  agriculture  and  the  cotton  product  in  the  several  counties  may  be  measured  by  the  number  of  tons 
of  marl  used. 

Besides  its  large  crops  of  cotton  this  long-leaf  pine  region  produces  on  a  large  scale  corn,  pease,  and  sweet 
potatoes,  and  in  a  few  counties  rice  and  tobacco. 

THE  OAK  UPLANDS  REGION,  (a) 

The  third  agricultural  subdivision,  the  oak  uplands  region,  extending  from  the  western  limit  of  the  pine  belt 
to  the  Blue  Ridge,  contains,  as  before  stated,  every  imaginable  variety  of  soil. 

The  different  descriptions  of  soils  usually  lie  in  narrow  parallel  northeast  and  southwest  belts  or  zones 
conformable  to  the  geological  structure  of  the  country.  Those  of  this  part  of  the  state  may  be  characterized, 
generally  as  gray,  yellow,  and  brown  loams,  the  higher  levels  and  ridges  having  more  commonly  sandy  and  gravelly 
loam  soils,  gray,  yellow,  or  brown,  and  there  are  interspersed  throughout  the  region  belts  and  patches  of  red-clay 
lands  wherever  hornblendic  or  trap  rocks  outcrop.  These  are  generally  among  the  best  soils,  both  as  to  fertility 
and  durability,  and  are  covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  oaks,  hickory,  walnut,  etc.,  pines  being  absent.  The 
growth  of  the  region  generally  eastward  of  the  Blue  Ridge  consists  of  a  great  variety  of  oaks,  and  hickory,  maple, 
poplar,  dogwood,  sourwood,  and  sassafras,  with  occasional  belts  of  chestnut  and  chestnut  oak  on  the  higher  ridges 
and  white  pine  and  hemlock  in  the  foot-hills  of  the  mountains  and  in  the  higher  coves  and  gorges.  Along  the 
rivers,  as  well  as  along  the  smaller  streams,  even  to  the  smallest  brook,  are  found  patches,  and  often  extensive  tracts, 
of  ''bottom  lands"  of  fine  alluvial  soils,  which  constitute  the  meadow  lands,  as  well  as  the  most  productive  and 
reliable  corn  lands  of  the  region.  These  bottom  lands  constitute  probably  one-tenth  of  the  cultivated  area  of  most  of 
the  counties  throughout  the  region.  The  second  bottoms  and  higher  benches  or  terraces  along  many  of  the  larger 
rivers  are  sometimes  of  considerable  extent,  and  are  very  productive;  but  they  are  more  sandy  and  less  durable 
than  the  bottoms  proper. 

a  Corresponds  to  the  Metaaierphic  of  the  Georgia  report. 


PHYSICO-GEOGRAPHICAL  AND  AGRICULTURAL  FEATURES. 


19 


The  agriculture  of  this  portion  of  the  oak  uplands  region  from  the  pine  belt  to  the  Blue  Ridge  is  divided 
between  cotton  and  grain  crops  in  the  southern  half  and  tobacco  and  grain  in  the  northern  half.  Fruits  in  great 
variety  and  the  vine  nourish  throughout  the  region,  the  western  or  Piedmont  section  being  especially  adapted  to 
the  grape.     Cattle  and  sheep-raising  are  also  very  profitable  wherever  intelligently  pursued. 

The  following  analyses  (made  for  the  Census  Office)  are  given  of  samples  of  the  lands  of  this  region : 

No.  1.  Lark  gray  soil  from  near  Raleigh,  Wake  county;  depth  taken,  5  inches.  An  open,  coarse,  gravelly, 
and  sandy  loam,  which  does  not  bake  or  clod,  and  is  easily  tilled.  Timber  growth,  black,  post,  and  white  oaks, 
dogwood,  and  hickory. 

No.  2.  Light  yellow  subsoil  of  the  above,  coarse,  gravelly,  and  sandy,  and  with  but  little  clay,  taken  at  a  depth 
of  from  5  to  20  inches. 

No.  3.  Bark  gray  gravelly  soil  from  a  high,  dry,  pebbly,  gravelly,  and  broad-backed  ridge  or  plateau  near 
Raleigh,  Wake  county,  taken  6  inches.  Growth,  long-  and  short-leaf  pines,  post,  white,  and  small  black  oaks, 
and  hickory.     Produces  1,000  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre. 

No.  4.   Yellowish  red  clay  subsoil  of  the  above;  depth  taken,  from  6  to  20  inches. 

No.  5.  Light  gray  gravelly  and  sandy  loam  from  one  mile  east  of  Spartanburgh,  South  Carolina,  near  the  mineral 
spring,  depth  taken,  6  inches.  Growth,  short-leaf  pine,  post,  white,  and  black  oaks,  and  hickory.  This  is  an 
average  cotton  soil  of  the  region,  and  will  produce  1,000  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre. 

No.  6.  Yellowish  brown  subsoil  of  the  above,  a  clay  loam  that  does  not  bake  and  is  easily  tilled,  taken  from 
6  to  20  inches. 

No.  7.  Gray  gravelly  loam  soil  from  one  mile  northeast  of  Charlotte,  Mecklenburg  county.  Depth  taken,  6 
inches;  growth,  black,  white,  red,  and  Spanish  oaks,  and  hickory.  This  soil  will  bake,  but  is  a  good  cotton  and 
■wheat  soil,  producing  from  1,200  to  1,500  pounds  of  seed- cotton  per  acre. 

No.  8.  Subsoil  of  the  above,  a  reddish-brown  clay  loam. 

No.  9.  Gray,  gravelly  clay  loam  soil  from  near  Concord.  Cabarrus  county, 
black,  and  post  oaks,  and  hickory.    A  common  cotton  soil. 

No.  10.   Yellow  subsoil  of  the  above. 


Depth  taken,  7  inches;  growth,  white, 


Gray  sandy  soils,  oak  and  hickory  uplands. 


"Wake  county. 

Spartanbubgh  county, 
South  Carolina. 

MECKLENBURG  COUNTY. 

Cababrus  county. 

NEAR   RALEIGH. 

PLATEAU  LAND  NBAS 
BALEIOH. 

ONE  MILE  EAST  OF  SPAR- 
TANBUBGH. 

ONE  MILE  NORTHEAST  OF 
CHABLOTTE. 

NEAR  CONCORD. 

Soil. 

Subsoil. 

Soil. 

Subsoil. 

Soil. 

Subsoil 

SoiL 

Subsoil. 

SoiL 

Subsoil. 

No.  h 

Ho.  2. 

Ho.  3. 

Ho.  4. 

Ho.  5. 

Ho.  6. 

Ho.  7. 

Ho.  8. 

No.  9. 

Ho.  10. 

87.200) 

590.342 
3.142J 

0.101 

0.023 

0.060 

0.023 

6.074 

2.780 

3.094 

0.056 

0.095 

3.140 

85.600) 

4.72ir-321 

0,117 
0.025 
0.070 
0.022 
0.087 
2.818 
3.797 
0.051 
0.104 
2.417 

80.340) 
.  „,„>81.280 
0.940) 

0.088 

0.619 

0.082 

0.083 

0.050 

11.040 

3.154 

0.039 

70.840) 
2.090S 

0.248 
0.069 
0.016 
0.137 
0.215 
15.334 
5.849 
0.130 

77.860)             43.740) 
,  „„J79.650  |  , $49,610 

81.060) 

S83.419 
2.359) 

0.141 

0.063 

0.065 

0.036 

0.091 

3.427 

5.096 

0.206 

0.118 

7.251 

72.280) 

J73.341 
1.061$ 

0.145 

0.038 

0.059 

0.043 

0.081 

9.705 

9%3 

0.227 

0.043 

7.080 

78.786) 

586.191 
7.405) 

0.1S1 

0.012 

0.335 

0311 

0.052 

4.987 

4.024 

0.130 

0.075 

3.876 

79  507) 
„  „_{  83.366 
3.853) 

0.186 

0.084 

0.276 

0.162 
0.084 
6.520 
6.412 
0.330 
0.051 
2.546 

0.092 
0.041 
0.036 
0  070 

0.214 
0.087 
0.003 

Brown  oxide  of  manganese 

0.056 

0.010 

7.538 
0.082 

26.536 
0.134 

"Water  and  organic  matter 

4.569  i               5.646 

6,187               11.660 

Total 

99.788 

99.829 

100.435  |            100.641 

99.436  !            100.175 

09.913 

100.615 

100.130 

100.011 

2.592 
17.0  C.° 

1.950 
17.7  0." 

3.573  |               6.858 

4.685 
21.8  C.° 

11.210 

21.8  C.° 

4.952 

21.1  C.° 

7.123 
21.1  C.° 

3.346 
21.8  C.o 

21.8  C.° 

[The  gray  sandy  ridge  soil  of  the  neighborhood  of  Raleigh  (Nos.  1  and  2)  shows  low  percentages  of  potash,  lime, 
and  phosphoric  acid,  but  seems  to  be  of  almost  identical  composition  to  the  depth  of  20  inches,  and  probably 
more.  Being  at  the  same  time  very  easily  penetrable,  it  may  afford  to  deep-rooted  plants  for  a  time  a  fair  supply 
of  plant-food,  but  will  soon  give  out.     Phosphates  are  the  fertilizers  chiefly  indicated. 


551 


20  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

The  highly  ferruginous  plateau  soil  from  near  Raleigh  (Xos.  3  and  4)  shows  in  its  subsoil  a  considerable 
superiority  over  the  gray  soils  as  to  potash  and  phosphoric  acid,  but  is  notably  deficient  in  lime,  dressings  of 
■which,  or  of  marl,  would  doubtless  act  very  favorably  in  connection  with  deep  tillage.  Tbe  deficiency  in  lime  is 
here,  as  elsewhere,  indicated  by  the  prevalence  of  pine. 

The  Spartanburgk  soil  and  subsoil  (Xos.  5  and  6)  are  again  remarkable  for  deficiency  in  lime,  and  are  evidently 
closely  related  to  the  plateau  soil  (Hob.  3  and  4)  from  near  Raleigh,  the  chief  difference  being  the  higher  percentage 
of  phosphoric  acid  in  the  surface  soil.  But  here  again  liming  or  marling  is  indicated  as  the  first  improvement 
needed. 

^he  soil  from  near  Charlotte  (Nos.  7  and  8)  shows  a  remarkable  superiority  over  the  preceding  in  the  percentages 
of  phosphates,  which  are  high  in  both  soil  and  subsoil  and  show  ample  cause  for  the  higher  production,  which 
could  doubtless,  however,  be  increased  by  liming  or  marling,  lime  being  still  deficient  for  a  soil  of  tbis  character. 

Tbe  soil  from  Cabarrus  (Nos.  9  and  10)  also  (taking  soil  and  subsoil  together)  shows  a  high  phosphate 
percentage;  and,  being  associated  with  a  good  supply  of  lime,  the  soil  should  be  both  productive  and  durable  with 
deep  and  thorough  tillage. 

In  all  of  these  soils  potash  is  rather  low. — E.  TV.  EL] 

THE  TRANSMOXTANE  REGION". 

The  western  division  of  the  state  beyond  the  Blue  Ridge  is  entitled  to  be  considered  and  described  as  a 
separate  agricultural  region,  on  account  of  the  marked  difference  of  climate  which  distinguishes  it  from  the 
cismontane  divisions,  inasmuch  as  its  agricultural  features  and  capabilities  are  differentiated  strongly  from  those 
of  the  other  divisions  by  its  climate,  although  there  is  no  difference  in  the  soils,  either  as  to  origin  or  physical  and 
chemical  qualities.  On  the  high  table-land  between  the  Blue  Ridge  and  the  Smoky,  in  addition  to  the  growth  of 
oak,  poplar,  maple,  etc.,  there  is  a  large  intermixture  of  white  pine,  hemlock,  walnut,  cherry,  linn  ( Tilia  Americana), 
chestnut,  buckeye,  magnolia  of  several  species,  sugar  maple,  and  black  locust;  and  the  summits  of  the  higher 
ranges  above  the  level  of  5,000  feet,  as  the  Black,  the  Balsam,  and  the  highest  parts  of  the  Smoky  mountains,  are 
frequently  mantled  over  with  a  dense  growth  of  spruce  and  fir.  The  soils  of  this  region  extend  over  the  summits 
of  the  higher  mountains,  and  are  often  of  the  greatest  fertility  quite  to  their  tops,  which  are  consequently  heavily 
wooded.  The  flatfish  or  dome-like  summits  of  a  few  of  the  higher  and  more  massive  mountains  are  bare  of  trees, 
and  are  covered  with  grass;  are,  in  fact,  natural  meadows  or  prairies.  A  marked  feature  of  the  forests  of  this 
region  is  the  occurrence  of  extensive  thickets  or  jungles  of  laurel  (Rhododendron),  both  on  the  valley  flats  and  the 
mountain  benches  and  slopes,  and  even  on  the  summits  of  some  of  the  highest  ranges,  as  the  Roan  and  Craggy, 
■where  these  thickets  cover  many  square  miles.  The  "  ivy  "  (Kalmia  latifolia)  is  commonly  associated  with  the  laurel, 
and  sometimes  replaces  it.  These  shrubs  attain  here  the  size  of  forest  trees,  being  often  10  and  even  15  inches  in 
diameter  and  from  15  to  20  feet  high. 

The  valleys  or  troughs  between  the  cross-chains  are  generally  deep  and  narrow,  but  in  some  cases  they  open 
out  into  broad  stretches  of  hilly  and  rolling  country,  with  occasional  tracts  of  river  bottoms  and  benches  or  terraces, 
sometimes  three  or  four,  rising  one  above  another  and  shouldering  back  against  the  flanking  river  hills.  The  soils 
of  the  bottoms  are  usually  ash-colored  or  gray  clays  or  loams,  and  are  very  productive,  while  the  higher  terraces  are 
more  sandy  and  less  durable.  This  description  applies  especially  to  valley  plateaus  of  the  upper  French  Broad  and 
of  Valley  river.  Most  of  these  basins  are  deep  and  narrow,  and  their  surfaces  are  broken  by  projections  of 
the  inclosing  mountains,  so  that  but  a  small  proportion  of  the  surface  of  many  of  these  transmoutane  counties  is 
arable.  The  slopes  and  spurs  of  the  mountains,  however,  and  generally  even  their  summits,  produce  crops  of  native 
grasses,  and  timothy  and  blue-grass  and  other  cultivated  varieties  catch  easily  aud  become  naturalized  and  self- 
propagating. 

The  proper  agriculture,  therefore,  for  the  regiou  is  stock-raising,  to  which,  indeed,  nine-tenths  of  it  had  been 
devoted  until  the  war.  Large  crops  of  corn  are  grown  on  the  river  bottoms,  while  wheat,  oats,  rye,  and  buckwheat 
is  grown  on  the  hills  and  mountain  sides.  This  region  is  the  natural  home  of  the  vine,  of  which  it  has  furnished 
several  valuable  native  varieties.     The  apple,  pear,  and  peach  also  flourish  with  remarkable  vigor  and  vitality.    The 

culture  of  the  gold  leaf  tobacco  has  been  domesticated  in  several  of  these  transmontaue  counties  within  the  past 
decade,  and  one  of  them,  Madison,  already  markets  a  million  pounds  per  annum.  The  timber  of  the  region  also 
furnishes  the  basis  of  considerable  commerce,  which  is  rapidly  increasing  with  the  recent  penetration  of  several 
lines  of  railway.     Immense  quantities  of  walnut,  as  well  as  of  black  locust  and  cherry,  are  already  finding  their 

way  to  market. 

552 


13 


DEPARTMENT   OF  THE  INTERIOR 


■-  ■   ■     ' 


\'  (N5, 


-.*  4i°Ai 


-J'JfSniellvJIm-' 


# 


-  / 


^v 


s 


^v 


X 


- 


A 


PercfftrUa^e  uftoLa]  are;  i 
planted  in  Cotton  in  L881  I 

l~~j  (i    to  O.J  pel  '  en1 
[   x~~ 1  0.1  to! 


nr        i    tnr) 


. 


GENERAL  DISCUSSION 


21 


GENEEAL  EEMAEKS  ON  COTTON  FEODUCTION  IN  NOETH  CAROLINA. 

Among  the  cotton  states  North  Carolina  is  seventh  in  population,  eighth  in  cotton  production  (389,598  bales), 
-and  eighth  in  bales  per  acre  (0.44).    The  product  in  1870  was  144,935,  and  in  1860  145,514  bales. 
The  following  tables  give  various  data  relating  to  cotton  production : 

Table  ni.— SHOWING  POPULATION  AND  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  EACH  AGRICULTURAL  REGION  OF  THE  STATE. 


POPULATION. 

COTTOX  PRODUCTION. 

■3 

e 

Average  per  acre.             Total  in  tons. 

o 

CD 
eS 

—  a 
*  ° 

n  a 
"©a 

o  o 

- 

c;a 

Agricultural  regions. 

■a 

3.9 

o  £ 

Total. 

White.     Colored. 

*S  -2     |    Acres. 

Bales.    |     a 

"So 

22  (3 

8>js 

if  o 
S<8 

CM 

Q 

a 
.2 

a 

1 

G 

Lint. 

Seed. 

11 
a  o 

a  5* 

DO 

bf  m 
3  p, 

a-0 

o 

Ph 

fi 

03 

u 

V2 

Pi 

<1 

X6«. 

Lbs. 

Lbs.  1 

Total 

1,  399,  750 

867,  242 

532.  508 

15.07 

893, 153 

389,  598 

0.44 

621 

207 

414  |      92,530 

185,  060 

100 

18.39 

193,  268 

102,  275         90.  993 

13.  34  '      85,  557 

36,554 

0.43 

609       203 

406 

8,682 

17,364 

9 

0.6 

407,  643 

200,  977 

206,  666 

25.  84  [     466,  367 

209,  475 

0.45 

639       213 

426 

49,  750 

99,  500 

54 

32.4 

798,  839 

563,  990 

234,849 

9.80       341,229 

143,  569 

0.42 

597 

199 

398 

34,  098 

68, 196 

37 

13.5 

Table  IV.— SHOWING  "BANNER  COUNTIES",  AS  REGARDS  TOTAL   PRODUCTION  AND   PRODUCT  PER  ACRE, 

IN  EACH 

AGRICULTURAL  REGION. 

o 

£ 

COUNTIES  HAVING  HIGHEST  TOTAL  PRODUCTION-. 

COUNTIES  HAVING   HIGHEST  PRODUCT  PEE  ACHE. 

a! 

a 

fa 

P. 

<D 

■3 

& 

Jlegions  according  to  product  per  acre. 

Counties  in  each  region 

©  © 

6 

3 

•  .a 

.9 

s 

i 

Counties  in  each  region 

a 

p.-g 

6 

a 

^5 

•a  " 

o  © 

Zf 

having  highest  total 

=£3 

a 

a 

having  highest  prod- 

j§ o 

« 

a 

rt 

P-+* 

=■£ 

©  o 
tea 

production. 

- 

=  ■2 
~£ 

u 

a 

0 

P. 

o 

o 

uct  per  acre. 

°3 
.5.9 

o 

■a 
o 
h 
Pi 

5 

•al 

p  B 

P 

a 

13 

3 

o 

"3 

T3 

a  a 

& 

o 

o 

3 

< 

0 

« 

D 

H 

Ah 

M 

O 

H 

Pi 

» 

0.45 

Edgecombe 

6 

51,880 

26,  250 

0.51 

9 

23,  706 

13,  049 

0.55 

3 

0.43 

4 

11,785 

6,021 

0.51 

62 

385 

244 

0.63 

1 

0.45 

Wake. 

7 

59,9  6 

30,115 

0.50 

*Wn,kpi  . 

1 

59,  916 

30,  115 

0.50 

7 

In  making  estimates  for  this  table  all  counties  are  excluded  whose  total  production  is  less  than  100  bales: 
County  in  the  state  having  highest  total  cotton  production:  Wake,  30,115  bales;  county  in  the  state  having 
highest  product  per  acre:  Brunswick,  0.63  bale,  or  903  pounds  of  seed-cotton;  county  in  the  state  having  highest 
cotton  acreage  per  square  mile:  Edgecombe,  91.50  acres. 

Coiiparison  uf  the  agricultural  regions. — It  will  be  seen  by  an  inspection  of  Table  III  that  the  long-leaf 
pine  region  is  the  cotton  region  of  the  state,  producing  209,475  bales,  or  54  per  cent,  of  the  total  product,  and  also 
showing  the  largest  product  per  acre,  0.45  of  abale  (the  average  for  the  state  being  0.44),  the  largest  cotton  acieage 
per  square  mile,  32  acres  (that  for  the  cotton  region  being  18  acres),  and  the  largest  cotton  acreage  per  capita,  1.14 
(the  average  being  0.64  acres).  "With  an  area  of  14,401  square  miles  and  1,804,900  acres  of  tilled  land,  it  has  26 
per  cent,  of  the  latter  in  cotton. 

Of  the  other  two  regions  the  oak  uplands  take  precedence  in  acreage  of  cotton  per  square  mile,  13.5  (to  9.6 
in  the  other),  and  in  total  production,  143,569  bales,  as  against  36,554  bales  for  the  seaboard  region.  The  acreage  per 
capita  is  about  equal,  0.43  and  0.44  respectively,  and  in  product  per  acre  the  latter  has  also  slightly  the  advantage, 
0.43  to  0.42. 

The  seaboard  region  has  an  area  of  8,951  square  miles,  641,580  acres  of  tilled  laud,  of  which  a  little  over  13  per 
cent,  is  devoted  to  cotton.  The  oak  uplands  region  has  an  area  of  25,228  square  miles,  of  which  3,479,607  acres  are 
in  cultivation,  and  a  little  less  than  10  per  cent,  of  the  latter  in  cotton. 

The  precedence  of  the  long-leaf  pine  region  is  still  more  apparent  from  some  other  points  of  view.  Of  the  22 
counties,  16  produce  more  than  5,000  bales,  9  more  than  10.000  bales,  and  the  product  of  3  exceeds  15,000  bales 
each.  In  the  seaboard  region  there  are  only  2  counties  whose  product  exceeds  5,000  bales ;  and  in  the  oak  uplands  8 
counties  produce  more  than  5,000  bales,  4  exceed  10,000  bales,  and  2  pass  15,000  bales,  and  the  average  product  per 
county  in  each  region  is  respectively  21,000,  2,100,  and  5,500  (including  only  the  counties  whose  product  exceeds  100) 
bales.  But  although  the  lead  of  the  long  leaf  pine  region  in  most  respects  is  so  decided,  yet  the  county  having  the 
largest  yield,  and  much  the  largest  in  the  state  (Wake),  is  found  in  the  oak  uplands  region,  producing  30,115  bales, 

553 


22 


COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


while  the  largest  yield  of  a  single  county  in  the  former  region,  that  of  Edgecombe,  is  20,250  bales;  and  the  county 
having  the  highest  product  per  acre  is  found  in  the  seaboard  region,  Brunswick,  producing  0.03  of  a  bale,  the 
highest  product  of  the  long-leaf  pine  region  being  0.55  of  a  bale,  in  Wilson. 

In  the  long  leaf  pine  region,  and  also  the  seaboard  region,  the  white  and  colored  population  are  nearly  equal ; 
and  in  the  oak  uplands,  which  produces  37  per  cent,  of  the  crop^,  the  white  population  outnumbers  the  colored  in 
the  proportion  of  2.4  to  1. 

When  the  crops  of  the  different  regions  for  1870  and  18S0  are  compared,  several  notable  changes  will  be 
observed.  While  the  total  cotton  product  of  the  state  has  increased  nearly  threefold  (2.7  to  1),  the  seaboard  region 
has  increased  its  product  in  nearly  that  average  ratio  (2.8  to  1),  that  of  the  long-leaf  piue  region  has  about 
doubled,  and  the  oak  uplands  region  has  enlarged  its  product  in  the  ratio  of  4.5  to  1.  If  the  subject  be  examined 
geographically,  it  will  be  found  that  iu  the  latter  region  the  cotton  area  has  wideued  northward,  taking  into  the 
zone  of  cotton  culture  aa  additional  tier  of  counties,  and  toward  the  western  part  of  the  midland  section  and  across 
the  Piedmont  as  much  as  two  tiers,  making  a  breadth  of  fully  50  miles;  so  that  a  number  of  counties  which  in  1870 
were  not  counted  as  cotton  counties,  their  product  being  only  a  few  score,  or  at  most  a  few  hundred  bales,  now 
produce  as  many  thousand  bales,  as  Granville,  Stanley,  Rowan,  Iredell,  Lincoln,  Catawba,  Cleavelaud,  and  Rutherford. 
This  remarkable  result  is  due,  in  large  part,  to  the  introduction  and  general  use  of  commercial  fertilizers,  which  not 
only  increase  the  crop,  but  hasten  its  maturity  from  two  to  three  weeks,  and  so  bring  into  the  cotton  belt  a  strip  of 
plateau  country  whose  elevation  of  from  800  to  1,200  feet  had  placed  it  just  beyond  the  climatic  range  of  the  cotton- 
plant.  This  region,  which  in  1S70  produced  but  little  more  in  aggregate  of  bales  than  the  yield  of  its  banner 
county  in  1880  (and  much  less  than  that  in  1800),  now  produces  as  much  as  the  whole  state  did  at  the  last  two 
enumerations.  That  this  change  is  in  no  respect  due  to  the  altered  relations  of  labor  is  obvious  from  several 
considerations,  but  sufficiently  from  this:  that  the  product  iu  1800  and  in  1870  was  not  only  the  same  in  total 
amount,  but  was  distributed  among  the  three  regions  in  about  the  same  proportions. 

Fertilizers. — The  use  of  commercial  fertilizers  is  almost  universal  in  the  cotton  counties,  and  composts  of  stable 
manure,  cotton-seed,  muck,  woods-mold,  and  marl  are  also  largely  used  in  the  best  farming  sections  (the  eastern 
regions),  the  first  two  being  also  used  in  the  oak  uplands.  As  has  been  already  stated,  the  use  of  commercial 
fertilizers  has  increased  very  rapidly;  indeed,  has  revolutioaized  the  whole  cotton  industry  of  the  state  in  the  past 
decade,  and  the  end  is  not  reached.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  crop  of  the  long-leaf  pine  region  was  doubled  in  that 
time,  and  that  of  the  other  regions  increased  in  a  still  larger  ratio,  and  this  not  only  through  the  increased  acreage, 
but  also  an  enlarged  product  per  acre.  An  unfortunate  result  of  the  enlarged  use  of  these  manures  is  the  diminished 
use  of  the  marls,  which  abound  in  the  eastern  regions,  and  are  accessible  to  almost  every  neighborhood.  These 
marls  are  found  in  the  ravines  and  the  banks  of  streams  and  in  the  farm  ditches  in  most  of  the  eastern  counties. 
Their  value  has  been  thoroughly  tested  on  a  hundred  farms,  and  is  admitted  by  all  intelligent  farmers  to  ba  very 
great.  They  increase  the  yield  two  and  three  fold,  and  are  the  most  durable  in  their  effect  of  all  manures.  A  few 
analyses  will  sufficiently  show  the  reason  of  their  utility. 


Analyses  of  marls  of  North  Carolina. 

[Made  by  E.  H.  Bogardus,  chemist  to  New  Jersey  survey,  and  G.  B.  Hanna,  United  States  assayer.] 


Total. 


Insoluble  matter. 

Potash 

Soda 

Lime   

Magnesia 

Peroxide  of  iron . 

Alumina 

Phosphoric  acid  . 
Sulphuric  acid... 

Carbonic  acid 

Organic  matter  .. 
Water 

5M 


GLAUCONITIC  (CRETA- 
CEOUS). 


>     . 

^  tin 
<e  a 

ph  a 
a 

¥ 


95.17 


7.59 
Trace. 


15.87 


II 

0 

to 


76.63 
6.  51 
0.11 
9.19 
0.30 

4.23 

0.73 
1.83 
6.00 

0.46 


as 


68.91 
0.62 


8.89 
1.20 

9.91 

0.24 
4.21 
5.76 

0.26 


WHITE   CHALK  MARLS  (EOCENE). 


2 
Eo 

.a 

S 
a 


3.54 
1.28 
0.36 
51.74 
0.50 

0.97 

0.35 

0.49 

40.61 

0.16 


a. a 
aa 

a 

>\L 
*?  o 
few 
l*i 

£§< 
H 


103.  60 


7.27 
1.06 
0.00 
48.55 
1.39 

5.23 

S.  10 
0.20 
39.35 

0.45 


4.88 
1.37 
0.42 
50.80 
0.67 

1.60 

0.45 

0.33 

40.60 

0.27 


E 

e 


100.  00 


4.56 

Trace. 

0.14 

50.04 

1.72 

1.62 

0.34 

0.45 

40.55 

0.58 


BLUE  MARLS  (MIOCEXE). 


6.97 
0.37 
0.15 
47.62 
1.03 


'E  a 


§■2 


10 


100.  24 


37.24 
1.  CO 
0.34 

30.45 
1.  88 


100. 10 


26.33 
0.91 
0.02 

33.03 
0.59 


11 


100.  00 


38.  23 
0.75 
0.04 

29.19 
0.58 


Vi 


100.  51 


0.86 

2.09 

5.47 

5.15 

0.19 

0.38 

1.67 

1.40 

0.41 

1.10 

0.28 

1.57 

38.15 

25.16 

24.89 

21.41 

4.25 

6.89 

1.68 

2.92 


1.  GO 


13 


99.10 


24.70 
0,02 
0.24 

34.97 
2.26 

6.01 

0.32 

1.08 

29.06 

0.44 


"3 
W, 


~  3 
—  o 
©  u 


>'> 


14 


15 


99.  95 


49.66 
0.37 
0.34 

20.25 
0.37 


3.75 
2.02 
11.72 

6.48 


=■■2 
o'S  • 


16 


101.  69 


58.83 
0.  93 
0.70 

14.60 
0.41 

3.62 

0.18 

2.82 

10.23 

9.87 


GENERAL  DISCUSSION.  23 

These  marls  belong  to  three  classes:  the  first  three  are  greensand,  or  Cretaceous;  the  next  four,  Eocene-Tertiary; 
the  others,  Miocene-Tertiary.  No.  1  represents  the  greensand  marl  of  the  Cape  Fear  River  section  ;  the  sample  is 
from  the  river  bluff  at  Wilmington.  No.  2  is  from  a  stream  near  Kinston,  aud  represents  that  of  the  Neuse  Eiver 
section.  No.  3  is  from  a  point  about  15  miles  farther  north,  near  the  upper  limit  of  the  Cretaceous.  These  marls 
are  not  much  used,  because  they  contain  too  small  percentages  of  lime  aud  too  large  proportions  of  sand  for 
sandy  soils,  and  especially  because  so  large  quantities  are  required  (500  bushels  and  upward  to  the  acre),  but  they 
are  used  with  very  good  results  on  clay  soils. 

The  Eocene  or  chalk  marls  are  very  rich  in  lime,  being,  in  fact,  generally  but  uncompacted  limestones  or 
comminuted  shells.    Their  content  of  potash  and  phosphoric  acid  is  often  of  considerable  value. 

No.  4  is  from  Wilmington,  where  marls  of  this  description  are  abundant  and  near  the  surface.  No.- 6,  from 
near  Kinston,  represents  the  Eocene  marls  of  the  Neuse  river;  they  extend  from  Goldsboro'  to  New  Berne,  and 
underlie  the  whole  country  to  the  Cape  Fear.  These  are  valuable  fertilizers,  and  are  used  by  the  better  cWtss  of 
farmers  with  very  great  advantage. 

But  the  blue  marls  are  more  widely  distributed  than  the  others,  and  more  accessible,  and  are  much  more 
extensively  used.  There  are  few  counties  of  the  long-leaf  pine  and  seaboard  regions  in  which  these  marls  are  not 
found.  Forty  or  fifty  years  ago  their  introduction  under  the  teaching  of  Mr.  Edmund  Euffin,  of  Virginia, 
revolutionized  the  agriculture  of  Edgecombe  and  the  adjoining  counties.  The  marl  is  used  in  the  compost  heap  or 
alone,  and  is  distributed  in  the  furrow  or  broadcast. 

These  samples  fairly  represent  the  marls  and  their  distribution,  and  were  taken  from  open  pits  which  had 
been  extensively  used,  in  all  cases  with  marked  and  permanent  benefit.  The  marvel  is  they  are  not  universally 
used,  a  hundred  tons  for  every  one. 

Muck  and  peat  beds  are  found  in  vast  quantities  in  every  section  of  the  east,  and  these  are  also  used  in  the 
compost  heap,  as  are  also  marsh  mud  and  sea- weed  and  fish  and  fish-scrap  on  the  sea-coast  and  sound. 

535 


24 


COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


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PAET    II. 


AGRICULTURAL    DESCRIPTIONS 


OF    THE 


COUNTIES  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


27 

5:9 


AGRICULTURAL  DESCRIPTIONS 

OF   THE 

COUNTIES    OF    NORTH    CAROLINA. 


The  counties  are  here  grouped  under  the  heads  of  the  several  agricultural  regions  previously  described  to 
which  each  predominantly  belongs,  or,  in  some  cases,  under  that  to  which  it  is  popularly  assigned.  Each  county 
is  described  as  a  whole. 

The  regional  groups  of  counties  are  placed  in  the  same  order  as  that  in  which  the  regional  descriptions 
themselves  are  given.  The  statements  of  areas  of  woodland,  etc.,  refer  to  the  original  state  of  things,  irrespective 
of  tilled  or  otherwise  improved  lands. 

Appended  to  the  description  of  each  county  from  which  a  report  or  reports  have  been  received  is  an  abstract 
of  the  main  points  of  such  reports,  so  far  as  they  refer  to  natural  features,  production,  and  communication.  Those 
portions  of  the  reports  referring  to  agricultural  and  commercial  practice  are  placed  in  a  separate  division  (Part 
III)  following  that  of  county  descriptions.  In  making  the  abstracts  of  reports  it  has  in  most  cases  been  necessary 
to  change  somewhat  the  language  of  the  reporter,  while  preserving  the  sense. 


SEABOARD    REGION. 

(Embraces  the  counties  of  Currituck,  Camden,  Pasquotank,  Perquimans,  Chowan,  Dare,  Tyrrell,  Washington, 
Hyde,  Beaufort,  Pamlico,  Craven,  Carteret,  Jones,  Onslow,  Pender,  New  Hanover,  Brunswick,  Columbus.) 

CURRITUCK. 

Population:  6,476. — "White,  4,495 ;  colored,  1,981. 

Area:  2S2  square  miles. — Woodland,  41,119  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  40,455  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  316  acres;  in  corn,  23,310  acres;  in  wheat,  101  acres;  in 
oats,  267  acres. 

Cotton  production :  139  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.44  bale,  627  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  209  pounds 
(Otton  lint.  * 

Currituck  county  is  bounded  northward  by  Virginia,  eastward  by  the  Atlantic  ocean,  and  southward  mainly  by 
Albemarle  sound,  and  is  traversed  north  and  south  by  Currituck  sound,  which  occupies  about  one-third  of  its 
territory.  'Between  this  sound  and  the  Atlantic  ocean  lies  a  narrow  strip  of  sandy  soil,  which  in  its  origin  is  a 
sand-dune  of  the  breadth  of  from  1  to  3  miles,  rising  in  some  of  its  higher  hillocks  to  nearly  one  hundred  feet,  covered 
generally  with  a  small  growth  of  pine,  oak,  hickory,  dogwood,  etc.  The  body  of  the  county,  particularly  the 
northern  section,  is  quite  level,  and  has  a  growth  of  oaks,  hickory,  and  short  leal'  pine  and  a  clay  loam  soil,  but 
becomes  swampy  near  the  streams.  There  is  a  narrow  belt-  of  oak  and  pine  lands  also  in  the  middle  section.  The 
narrow  southern  promontory  which  projects  into  Albemarle  sound  is  for  the  most  part  sandy,  and  except  along 
the  margin  of  the  sounds,  where  it  is  more  or  less  swampy,  has  a  growth  of  long-leaf  pine.  With  the  exception  ot 
the  dune  hills,  nearly  the  whole  county  lies  below  the  level  of  10  feet  above  tide. 

The  soils  of  this  county  are  much  better  adapted  to  corn  and  rice  than  to  cotton.  The  stalk  of  the  latter 
grows  luxuriantly,  but  does  not  fruit  well.  Fishing  is  also  naturally  a  leading  industry;  and  the  county  has  great 
facilities  for  truck  farming,  which  is  rapidly  acquiring  importance.  Of  the  county  area,  22.41  per  cent,  is  tilled 
land,  of  which  0.73  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

The  most  abundant  facilities  exist  for  shipping  by  the  sounds  and  canals  and  by  rail. 

CO 
36  c  p — vol.  ii  561 


30  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

CAMDEN. 

Population  :  6,274.— White,  3,791 ;  colored,  2,483. 

Area  :  214  square  miles. — Woodland,  65,729  acres. 

Tilled  lands :  35,870  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  2,670  acres;  in  corn,  23,663  acres;  in  wheat,  461  acres;  in 
oats,  1,008  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  823  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.31  bale,  438  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  146  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Camden  county  is  a  long  narrow  strip  of  .territory  parallel  to  Currituck.  Northwestward  it  reaches  the  Dismal 
swamp  and  southward  Albemarle  sound,  and  lies  between  two  of  its  projecting  arms,  Pasquotank  river  and  North  river. 
The  northern  and  larger  portion  of  this  county  belongs  to  the  description  of  semi-swamp  or  oak  flats,  and  along  the 
main  rivers,  and  frequently  for  a  mile  or  two  from  their  margins,  are  gum  and  cypress  swamps.  At  a  distance  from 
the  streams  these  lauds,  as  in  the  preceding  county,  are  characterized  by  a  heavy  growth  of  oak,  hickory,  short-leaf 
pine,  etc.  The  middle  portion  of  the  southern  end  of  this  county,  along  the  divide  between  its  two  bounding 
water-courses,  has  a  narrow  zone  of  sandy  loam  soil  with  long-leaf  pine  forests.  The  main  crops  are  corn  and 
cotton,  with  some  small  grains ;  but  fishing  and  truck-farming  are  also  among  the  common  and  profitable  industries, 
and  several  thousand  bushels  of  flaxseed  are  annually  exported.  Of  the  county  area,  26.20  per  cent,  is  tilled  laud, 
of  which  7.44  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

Shipments  are  made  to  Norfolk  by  the  Dismal  Swamp  canal  and  by  rail. 

PASQUOTANK. 

Population:  10,369.— White,  4,S55  ;  colored,  5,514. 

Area:  232  square  miles. — Woodland,  44,345  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  51,400  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  4,004  acres;  in  corn,  28,525  acres;  in  wheat,  3,300  acres; 
in  oats,  1,930  acres. 

Cotton  production :  1,181  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.29  bale,  420  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  140  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Pasquotank  is  a  long,  narrow  strip  of  territory  parallel  to  Camden  county,  and  is  of  similar  topographical 
situation  and  agricultural  features.  It  is  bordered  eastward  and  westward  by  two  bay-like  arms  of  the  sound, 
Pasquotank  river  and  Little  river,  both  of  which  take  their  rise  in  the  Great  Dismal  swamp.  The  upper  and 
middle  portions,  therefore,  belong  to  the  general  description  of  swampy  land  and  semi-swamps.  Near  the  streams 
there  are  generally  strips  of  swamp  proper,  with  gum,  cypress,  and  juniper  forests,  but  farther  from  them  are  semi- 
swamps  and  oak  and  pine  flats,  with  oak,  hickory,  short-leaf  pine,  ash,  maple,  black  gum,  and  holly.  These  lands 
are  of  great  fertility.  The  southern  end  of  the  peninsula  on  the  sound  is,  as  usual,  sandy,  piny  woods.  The  industries 
of  the  county  are  the  same  as  those  of  Camden.  More  cotton  is  produced,  and  lumbering  still  constitutes  an  item 
of  consequence,  as  also  in  all  these  Albemarle  counties.  Truck  farming  is  also  assuming  large  proportions,  and 
the  raising  of  early  potatoes  for  the  northern  market  has  recently  become  one  of  the  most  profitable  industries. 
Of  the  county  area,  34.62  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  7.79  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton.  All  these  Albemarle 
counties  have  unlimited  facilities  of  transportation  through  their  numerous  bays,  rivers,  and  sounds,  which  are 
connected  with  Norfolk  harbor  through  the  Dismal  swamp  and  the  Currituck  canals,  and  also  by  railway. 

ABSTRACT   OF    THE   REPORT   OP   C.   "W.   HALLOWELL,   OP  ELIZABETH   CITY. 

There  is  a  considerable  variety  of  soil  and  a  limited  area  of  good  cotton  lands  iD  scattered  patches  of  from  20  to  300  acres,  the  lower 
lands  being  generally  dark  alluvial  and  -wet,  and  not  at  all  adapted  to  cotton.  The  higher  lands,  being  drier,  are  better  adapted  to 
cotton.  Only  one  year  in  several  may  be  said  to  be  a  good  cotton  year.  The  early  spring  is  apt  to  be  cold  and  wet,  which  necessitates 
late  planting;  again,  some  of  the  moister  soils  will  not  mature  the  crops  before  the  coming  of  early  frosts.  For  these  causes  the  "sure" 
cotton  lands  of  this  region  are  of  very  limited  area.  The  soil  may  be  divided,  first,  into  the  gray  loam,  with  stiff'  foundation,  and 
secondly  into  sandy  ridges. 

The.  chief  soil  is  the  gray  loam.  The  proportion  of  the  lands  of  the  region  of  this  kind  does  not  exceed  one-twentieth  of  the  acreage, 
and  its  natural  timber  is  beech,  ash,  white  oak,  poplar,  sweet  gum,  and  hickory.  The  average  depth  is  6  inches,  when  its  color  changes  into 
that  of  the  subsoil,  which  is  a  yellow  sand  mixed  with  clay.  Near  the  water-courses  the  subsoil  is  yellow  and  sometimes  bluish  clay, 
and  that  of  the  dark  lands  is  hard  and  crumbly.  The  chief  crops  are  corn,  wheat,  cotton,  oats,  pease,  potatoes,  and  flaxseed,  but  the  soil 
is  apparently  best  adapted  to  corn  and  flax.  Three  feet  is  the  average  height  of  the  cotton-plant,  which  inclines  to  run  to  weed  in  wet 
summers.  Topping  has  been  tried,  but  without  good  effect.  Fresh  land  produces  in  favorable  seasons  1,000  pounds  of  se*d-cotton  per 
acre,  and  1,425  pounds  are  needed  for  a  475-pound  bale,  which,  when  clean,  rates  in  the  market  as  middling  and  low  middling.  After 
seven  years'  cultivation  the  land  produces  600  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre.  Crab-  and  water-grass  are  troublesome.  The  proportion  of 
land  originally  cultivated  now  turned  out  is  very  small. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made,  from  October  to  January,  by  steamboats  and  sail  vessels  to  Baltimore  and  Norfolk.  Rates  of  freight 
per  bale  are  75  cents  to  Norfolk  and  §1  25  to  Baltimore. 

PEEQUIMANS. 

Population:  9,466. — White,  4,795;  colored,  4,671. 
Area  :  245  square  miles. — Woodland,  61,4S2  acres. 

Tilled  lands  :  53,544  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  7,025  acres;  in  corn,  21,910  acres;  in  wheat,  2,957  acres; 
in  oats,  1,222  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  2,778  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.40  bale,  564  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  188  pounds 
'  cotton  lint. 

562 


AGRICULTURAL  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  COUNTIES.  31 

Perquimans  county  is  in  every  respect  twin  to  the  preceding,  and  northward  it  extends  into  the  Great  Dismal 
swamp.  A  considerable  percentage  of  the  surface  of  Perquimans  is  occupied  by  what  is  commonly  called  swamp 
land,  though  for  the  most  part  it  is  drainable  and  cultivable.  These  swamp  lands,  which  are  better  described  as 
semi-swamps  and  oak  and  pine  flats,  are  a  repetition  of  those  before  described,  and  have  a  similar  soil,  which  varies 
from  a  fine  gray  loam  to  a  dark  mucky  soil  of  high  fertility.  Along  the  Perquimans  river,  which  is  an  arm  of 
Albemarle  sound,  he  in  a  southeasterly  drection  narrow  zones  of  cypress  swamps,  beyond  which,  northward  and 
southward,  are  narrow  tracts  of  sandy  soil,  with  forests  mainly  of  long-leaf  pine.  These  long-leaf  pine  tracts, 
•which  occupy  the  divides  between  the  streams,  project  in  the  form  of  promontories  into  the  margin  of  the  sound. 
Of  the  county  area,  3415  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  13.12  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton.  Shipments  are  by 
sound  and  canal  steamers  and  by  rail  to  Norfolk. 

ABSTRACT    OF   THE   REPORT   OF  WILLIAM  NIXON,  OF   WINFALL. 

This  county,  divided  nearly  in  half  by  the  Perquimans  river,  has  a  sound  front  of  fifteen  miles,  which  is  not  subject  to  overflow,  is 
level,  and  has  different  soils,  principally  clay,  sandy,  and  black.  Cotton  is  slow  in  getting  oif  in  the  spring,  and  is  liable  to  injury  (shedding) 
from  heavy  rains  in  August. 

About  one-half  of  the  county  is  what  is  designated  stiff  land,  which  extends  20  miles  north  and  15  miles  east  from  the  sound.  The 
natural  timber  growth  is  sweet  gum,  oak,  pine,  poplar,  ash.,  beech,  hickory,  holly,  and  dogwood.  The  land  is  a  gray  clay  ,oam,  about 
6  inches  deep  ;  the  subsoil  is  heaver  than  the  surface  soil,  and  is  mixed  with  some  very  fine  sand.  Corn,  cotton,  wheat,  oats,  and  potatoes 
are  the  chief  crops.  The  soil  is  best  adapted  to  corn  and  wheat,  but  one-fourth  of  the  improved  land  is  occupied  by  cotton.  The  plant  is 
most  productive  when  3  feet  high  ;  but  it  grows  from  2  to  5  feet  in  height,  and  is  apt  to  run  to  weed  in  hot,  wet  weather.  Fourteen  hundred 
and  twenty-five  pounds  of  seed-cotton  are  required  to  make  a  475-pound  bale,  rating  in  the  market  as  middling.  About  5  per  cent,  of  the 
land  originally  cultivated  now  lies  turned  out,  but  does  well  when  again  cultivated. 

The  sandy  soil,  occupying  about  three-tenths  of  the  land  in  this  region,  and  extending  from  8  to  10  miles  north  by  7  miles  across  the 
county,  is  timbered  with  pine,  poplar,  oak,  and  hickory.  The  soil  is  whitish  yellow  to  the  depth  of  8  inches,  when  it  changes  into  that  of 
the  subsoil,  which  is  heavier  than  the  surface  soil,  and  is  a  clay  mixed  with  sand.  It  is  early,  warm,  and  well  drained,  and  is  best  adapted 
to  corn,  cotton,  and  sweet  potatoes. 

The  black  soil  extends  10  miles  north  by  from  2  to  4  miles  east  and  west,  and  occupies  about  two-tenths  of  the  lands.  It  is  a  blackish 
loam  to  the  depth  of  1  foot.     The  subsoil  is  clay  and  sand,  underlaid  with  blue  mud  at  the  depth  of  10  feet,  and  is  best  adapted  to  corn. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made,  from  November  1  to  January  1,  by  steamboat  to  Norfolk  and  Baltimore.  Rates  of  freight  per  bale  are: 
to  Norfolk,  SI ;  to  Baltimore,  §1  50. 

CHOWAN. 

Population:  7,900.— White,  3,633 ;  colored,  4,267. 

Area :  150  square  miles. — Woodland,  44,446  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  35,234  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  6,047  acres;  in  corn,  13,877  acres;  in  wheat,  622  acres;  in 
oats,  791  acres. 

Cotton  production:  2,223  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.37  bale,  525  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  175  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Chowan  county  lies  in  the  angle  of  the  Chowan  river  and  Albemarle  sound.  Northward  it  consists  of  sandy, 
upland  piny  woods,  except  narrow  tracts  along  the  river  and  some  of  its  tributaries,  where  cypress  swamps  of 
considerable  extent  are  found ;  and  there  are  also  large  areas  of  oak  flats.  The  southern  portion  of  the  county,  lying 
near  the  souud  and  south  of  the  Yeopim  river,  is  characterized  by  a  gray  clay-loam  soil  and  a  mixed  oak  and  pine  forest 
growth,  and  is  for  the  most  part  very  productive.  Bear  swamp,  which  crosses  the  county  in  a  northeast  and  southwest 
direction,  is  more  properly  a  semi-swamp  from  3  to  5  miles  wide,  very  level,  with  a  gray  silty  soil,  and  the  characteristic 
growth  of  such  lands  comprises  short-leaf  pine,  oaks,  maple,  ash,  dogwood,  occasionally  cypress  and  gum,  and 
frequently  a  large  admixture  of  holly,  which  here  attains  the  size  of  oaks  and  furnishes  a  superior  cabinet  wood.  The 
agriculture  of  the  county,  as  well  as  its  other  industries,  is  quite  like  that  of  Gates.  Its  fisheries  are  among  the 
largest  and  most  profitable  in  the  country.  Of  the  county  area,  36.72  per  cent,  is  tilled  laud,  of  which  17.16  per 
cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton.  Being  surrounded  on  three  sides  by  navigable  waters  and  crossed  by  a  line  of 
railway,  the  county  has  abundant  means  of  transportation. 

ABSTRACT  OF  THE  EEPORT  OF  L.  W.  PARKER,  OF  SMALL'S  CROSS-EOADS. 

About  one-half  of  the  lauds  in  this  region  is  what  is  designated  as  "Albemarle  sound  bank  or  level",  about  one-half  being  cultivated  in 
cotton.  This  region  is  twenty  miles  in  length  and  ten  miles  wide.  Its  natural  timber  is  oak,  gum,  maple,  and  pine.  The  soil  is  black  in 
the  bottoms  and  a  white  sand  on  the  hills,  the  average  depth  in  the  former  being  2  feet.  The  subsoil  is  heavier  than  the  surface  soil,  being 
in  the  bottoms  a  "blue  mud  of  a  putty-like  nature  and  on  the  hills  yellow  and  sandy.  Cotton,  com,  potatoes,  pease,  and  peanuts  are  the 
chief  crops ;  but  the  soil  seems  best  adapted  to  cotton,  and  50  per  cent,  of  the  improved  land  is  given  to  this  crop,  which  is  most  productive 
when  3  feet  high,  and  is  inclined  to  run  to  weedin  wet  seasons  when  planted  too  deep,  the  remedy  for  which  is  manuring  aud  good  and 
early  cultivation.  In  fresh  land  the  seed-cotton  product  is  1,500  pounds  per  acre,  of  which  1,425  pounds  make  a  475-pound  bale  of  lint, 
rating  as  middling  staple.  After  five  years'  cultivation  the  product  is  750  pounds  per  acre,  and  1,540  pounds  are  needed  to  make  a  bale, 
the  lint  rating  as  low  to  middling.  The  carrot  and  hog-weed  are  most  troublesome.  About  25  per  ceut.  of  land  once  in  cultivation  now 
lies  turned  out,  and  when  again  taken  in  it  produces  finely  for  two  or  three  years.  It  washes  and  gullies  on  the  slopes,  but  the  damage 
is  not  serious ;  but  in  most  cases  the  valleys  are  improved  by  these  washings  of  the  uplands. 

The  sandy  ridge  occupies  about  one-third  of  the  lands  iu  this  section,  extends  20  miles  in  length  by  6  miles  in  width,  and  is  timbered 
with  yellow  pine.  The  soil  is  a  white  sand  to  the  depth  of  8  inches,  with  a  subsoil  of  yellow  sand  heavier  than  the  surface  soil.  It  is  early, 
warm,  well-drained,  and  easy  to  till  in  dry  seasons,  and  is  apparently  best  adapted  to  wheat,  pease,  or  cotton,  and  one-half  is  occupied  by 
the  latter  crop.  The  cotton-plant  attains  the  height  of  from  3  to  4  feet,  but  is  most  productive  when  3  feet  high.  It  is  inclined  to  run 
to  weed  in  wet  seasons,  and  topping  is  practiced  to  stop  this  tendency.  In  fresh  lands  1,425  pounds  of  seed-cotton  is  necessary  for  a  475- 
pound  bale,  which  rates  in  the  market  as  middling.  After  five  years' cultivation  the  product  ranges  from  500  to  600  pounds  per  acre,  and 
rates  as  low  middling.     Crab-grass  is  the  most  troublesome  weed.     About  10  per  cent,  of  the  land  once  in  cultivation  now  lies  turned  out, 

503 


32  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

The  hlack  swamps  or  bottoms  extend  10  Uiiles  square,  ami  occupy  one-fourth  of  the  laud  in  this  region.  The  soil  is  a  prairie,  putty-like 
loam,  black  in  color  to  the  depth  of  3  feet,  when  it  changes  into  that  of  the  subsoil,  a  blue  mud,  intermixed  with  some  gravel.  It  is  late, 
cold,  ill-drained,  and  best  adapted  to  corn  and  oats,  but  one-tenth  of  the  improved  land  is  occupied  by  cotton.  The  latter  crop  is  most 
productive  at  the  height  of  3  feet,  but  grows  from  4  to  8  feet  high,  and  is  inclined  to  run  to  weed  under  all  circumstances.  Fertilizing 
will  favor  bolliug.     The  staple  rates  as  low  middling.     The  cost  of  production  is  about  6  cents  per  pound. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  as  soon  as  ginned  to  Norfolk  or  Baltimore.  Rates  of  freight  per  bale  are  :  to  Norfolk,  $1 ;  to  Baltimore, 
Sil  25. 

DAEE. 

Population:  3,243.— White,  2,875;  colored,  308. 

Area:  382  square  miles. — Woodland,  19,996  acres. 

Tilled  lands  :  2,094  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  Hi  acres  ;  in  corn, '95G  acres;  in  wheat,  25 acres;  in  oats,  17 
acres. 

Cotton  production  :  S  bales  ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.50  bale,  714  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  238  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

The  surface  of  Dare  county  is  mainly  water,  the  land,  made  up  of  a  succession  of  long,  narrow  islands  and 
peninsulas,  being  interpenetrated  throughout  by  great  bays,  sounds,  and  navigable  bayous.  The  county  is  bounded 
eastward  by  the  Atlantic  ocean,  westward  by  Alligator  river,  and  southward  by  Pamlico  sound.  The  larger 
portion,  on  the  mainland,  is  a  swamp,  which  lies  but  a  few  feet  above  tide-level.  Around  the  margins  of  this  portion, 
next  the  sound,  are  narrow  tracts  of  a  few  miles,  in  places,  of  drainable,  cultivable  land  belonging  to  the  general 
description  of  oak  flats,  having  a  gray-loam  soil  of  a  close  texture.  It  is  also  fringed  by  considerable  bodies  of  marsh 
land  next  the  sound,  from  which  large  crops  of  cranberries  are.  gathered.  Roanoke  island,  a  part  of  this  county,  lies 
within  the  upper  portion  of  Pamlico  sound,  and  is  a  narrow  tract,  twelve  miles  in  length  and  from  two  to  three  miles 
in  width.  The  upper  portion  is  for  the  most  part  sandy,  with  a  short-leaf  pine  growth,  intermixed  with  oaks,  and  the 
southern  half  is  mainly  swamp  and  marsh.  The  easternmost  part  of  the  county,  like  the  corresponding  portion  of 
Currituck,  is  a  narrow  fringe  of  sand  reef,  properly  a  dune,  which,  as  in  the  former  case,  was  originally  covered  with 
a  forest  of  short-leal  pine,  oaks,  hickories,  dogwood,  etc.,  with  abundance  of  grape-vines.  These  have  for  the  most 
part  disappeared,  leaving  a  tract  of  sand  waves,  which  are  moving,  under  the  impact  of  the  trade  winds,  constantly 
toward  the  southwest  into  the  sound,  and  sometimes  rise  to  a  height  of  more  than  100  feet.  There  is  very  little 
tillable  land  in  the  county.  Its  chief  industry  is,  of  course,  fishing.  Of  the  county  area,  only  0.86  per  cent,  is  tilled 
land,  of  which  7.G3  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

TYEEELL. 

Population:  4,545. — White,  3,110;  colored,  1,435. 

Area:  376  square  miles. — Woodland,  57,282  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  19,225  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  3,481  acres;  in  corn,  8,300  acres;  in  wheat,  261  acres;  in 
oats,  781  acres. 

Cotton  production:  1,123  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.32  bale,  459  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  153  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

The  description  of  Tyrrell  county  may  be  given  by  simply  repeating  that  of  Washington,  except  that  the 
great  intersound  swamp  extends  over  a  larger  part  of  the  county.  Its  northern  third,  lying  on  Albemarle  sound, 
resembles  in  all  its  features  the  corresponding  portion  of  Washington.  No  part  of  it  rises  20  feet  above  sea-level.  It 
is  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  great  projection  from  Albemarle  sound  known  as  Alligator  river,  which  has  a  depth 
nearly  equal  to  that  of  the  sound  and  a  breadth  of  from  3  to  5  miles.  A  portion  of  the  rich  border  laud  of  lake 
Phelps  lies  within  this  county.  In  the  southeastern  corner,  along  Alligator  river  and  its  tributaries,  and  on  the 
western  side,  these  lands  are  semi-swamps  and  oak  fiats,  and  have  a  gray  silt  and  clay  loam  soil.  Of  the  county 
area,  7.98  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  18.11  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT  OF  THE  REPORT  OF  EPH.  LEIGH,  OF  FORT  LANDING. 

The  uplands,  or  tillable  lauds  of  our  creeks  and  rivers,  are  skirted  by  gum,  cypress,  and  juniper  swamps.  The  black  or  deep-soil 
lands  are  rather  of  a  cold  nature ;  hence  cotton  starts  slowly  in  the  early  season,  and  when  it  does  start  it  grows  too  rapidly  and  late,  and 
consequently  is  cut  off  by  frost.  In  our  lighter  lands  the  soil  is  warmer  and  the  plant  matures  early,  and  so  we  have  but  very  little 
stained  cotton. 

The  chief  soil  is  a  light,  fine  sanely  loam  of  a  whitish-gray  color,  with  a  subsoil  of  tough  yellow  clay,  very  stiff,  which  in  places  looks 
nearly  blue.  Its  natural  timber  is  gum,  poplar,  ash,  and  pine.  This  soil  is  easy  to  till  in  good  seasons,  and  is  well-drained,  early,  and 
warm.  Corn,  cotton,  wheat,  oats,  rice,  and  potatoes  are  the  leading  crops.  The  proportion  of  cotton  planted  is  about  one-third,  and 
usually  attains  the  height  of  from  2|  to  5  feet,  about  3  feet  being  the  most  productive.  Too  much  rain  makes  it  run  to  weed,  and  topping 
will  help  to  make  it  boll;  1,425  pounds  is  needed  to  make  a  bale.  The  most  troublesome  weeds  are  crab-grass  and  morning-glory.  We 
are  not  troubled  with  gullies  on  the  slopes. 

The  black  soil  forms  about  one-third  of  the  lands,  and  is  timbered  with  gum,  poplar,  cypress,  ash,  and  oak.  This  soil  is  best  adapted 
to  rice,  corn,  pease,  and  potatoes.  The  proportion  of  cotton  planted  is  probably  one-tenth,  1,(360  pounds  of  seed-cotton  being  necessary  for 
a  475-ponnd  bale. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made,  from  November  to  the  middle  of  January,  by  steamboats  and  sailing  vessels  to  Norfolk  and  Baltimore. 
Rates  of  freight  are  from  75  cents  to  §1  25  per  bale. 

WASHINGTON. 

Population:  8,928.— White,  4,554 ;  colored,  4,374. 
Area:  382  square  miles. — Woodland,  75,810  acres. 

Tilted  lands:  30,711  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  8,117  acres;  in  corn,  15,824  acres;  in  wheat,  047  acres;  in 
oats,  1,005  acres. 

5G4 


AGRICULTURAL  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  COUNTIES.  33 

Cotton  production :  3,524  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.43  bale,  018  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  20C  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Washington  county  lies  on  tlie  southern  shore  of  Albemarle  sound  and  Roanoke  river,  and  extends  southward 
into  the  great  intersound,  or  Alligator  swamp.  Only  about  one-half  its  territory,  next  to  Albemarle  sound,  has 
been  brought  into  cultivation  to  any  extent,  tbe  southern  half  remaining  in  its  original  condition.  The  cultivable 
portion  consists  mainly  of  oak  flats,  having  a  close  gray  clay  loam  soil  and  a  growth  of  oak,  hickory,  beech,  maple, 
and  short-leaf  pine,  with  flatfish  ridges  here  and  there  which  have  an  intermixture  of  long-  and  short-leaf  pine 
and  sandy  loam  soils.  The  former  are  generally  quite  fertile.  The  southern  portion  of  the  county  is  swampy,  and  is 
characterized  by  the  presence  of  two  considerable  lakes,  Phelps  and  Pungo,  which  occupy  the  highest  portions  of 
tbe  swamp,  and  from  which  many  of  the  streams  of  the  county  take  their  rise.  Around  the  margins  of  these 
lakes  are  narrow  belts  or  ridges  of  swampy,  mucky  land,  which  were  originally  covered  by  heavy  forests  of  gum, 
ash,  maple,  cypress,  poplar,  etc.  The  soils  are  of  great  depth  and  indefinite  fertility.  Much  of  the  swamp  land 
of  this  portion  of  the  county  is  peaty  and  worthless,  except  for  timber.  Tbe  southwestern  section  consists  partly 
of  semi-swamps,  with  gray  fertile  loams,  and  partly,  in  the  "Longaere"  country,  of  pocosons,  with  a  small  growth 
of  pine  and  scrub  oaks,  very  flat,  with  an  ashen  soil  of  close  texture,  siliceous,  but  as  impervious  as  clay.  Of  the 
county  area,  12.56  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  26.43  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT   OF   THE   REPORT   OF   J.  P.  NEWBERRY,  OF   PLYMOUTH. 

Cotton  in  the  lowlands  is  invariably  late,  and  is  apt  to  grow  too  much  weed.  The  high  and  sandy  soil  is  preferred.  The  soils 
cultivated  in  cotton  are :  first,  the  light  and  saudy  ;  second,  the  dark  clay,  the  chief  soil,  the  light  and  sandy,  occupying  five-eighths  of  the 
lands  iD  this  region.  Its  natural  timber  is  cypress,  pine,  gum,  ash,  and  poplar.  The  average  thickness  of  the  upland  soil  is  3  inches;  of 
the  lowland,  Is  inches.  The  subsoil  is  heavier,  and  is  described  as  a  clay  and  gravel  mixed,  underlaid  by  sand  and  gravel  at  8  feet,  which 
is  rather  difficult  of  tillage  in  wet  seasons.  Cotton,  corn,  and  potatoes  form  the  principal  crops.  The  soil  is  best  adapted  to  cotton  on  the 
upland  and  corn  on  the  lowland.  The  proportion  of  cotton  planted  is  one-half,  which  is  most  productive  at  the  height  of  2-\  feet.  On 
rich  soils  in  wet  seasons  it  is  inclined  to  run  to  weed,  but  topping  in  July  and  August  help  to  prevent  it.  Fresh  land  produces  from 
1,000  to  1,'iOO  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,425  pounds  being  needed  for  a  475-pound  bale,  which,  when  clean,  rates  in  the  market  as 
good  middling.  After  five  years'  cultivation  the  yield  is  from  500  to  600  pounds  per  acre,  and  1,425  pounds  is  then  needed  to  make  a  bale, 
but  it  does  not  rate  as  well  in  the  market.     Crab-grass  is  the  most  troublesome  weed.    The  slopes  are  but  little  subject  to  gullies. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  in  November  and  December  by  steamboat  to  Norfolk  and  Baltimore.     Rates  per  bale  are  ftl  '25  and  fit  10. 

HYDE. 

Population:  7,765.— White,  4,424;  colored,  3,341. 

Area:  557  square  miles. — Woodland,  41,247  acres. 

Tilled  .lands:  32,167  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  2,513  acres;  in  corn,  21,632  acres;  in  wheat,  1,070  acres; 
in  oats,  1,354  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  718  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.20  bale,  408  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  136  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Hyde  county  is  enveloped  by  sounds  and  great  bay-like  rivers,  and  its  middle  portion  is  occupied  by  a  large  lake, 
Mattamuskeet,  20  miles  in  length  and  6  miles  wide,  with  two  other  lakes  in  its  northern  portion.  Two-thirds  of  its 
land-surface  is  occupied  by  the  great  Alligator  swamp.  A  narrow  fringe  of  from  1  to  2  miles'  width  around  the 
central  lake  is  the  highest  portion  of  the  county,  and  is  from  6  to  10  feet  above  tide.  It  was  originally  covered  with 
a  heavy  swamp  growth  of  cypress,  gum  (tupelo),  maple,  ash,  etc.  These  lauds  have  been  cultivated  for  a  century, 
and  still  produce  56  bushels  of  corn  to  the  acre  without  manure  or  rotation.  This  ridge  slopes  off  in  every  direction 
from  the  lake — eastward  into  a  tract  of  oak  flats,  which  extends  to  tbe  sound.  Tbe  southwestern  portion  of  tbe 
county  within  the  projecting  arms  of  Pungo  river  and  other  bays  from  Pamlico  sound  may  also  be  described  as  oak 
flats,  with  a  soil  which,  in  general  terms,  is  a  gray  silly  loam — an  admirable  wheat  soil.  The  northern  portion  of 
this  county,  throughout  its  whole  extent  from  east  to  west,  is  alow-lying  savanna  or  peaty  cypress  and  juniper 
swamp,  like  the  Great  Dismal,  called  Alligator  swamp.  Of  the  county  area,  9.02  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which 
7.81  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton.  The  productions  of  this  county  are  chiefly  corn  and  wheat,  to  which  has 
been  recently  added  rice.     Lumbering  and  fishing  complete  tbe  list  of  its  industries. 

BEAUFORT. 

Population:  17,474.— White,  10,022;  colored,  7,452. 

Area:   620   square,  miles. — Woodland, 224,330  acres. 

Tilled lands :  43,625  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  11,785  acres;  in  corn,  20,225  acres;  in  wheat,  374  acres; 
in  oats.  1.305  acres. 

Cotton  production :  6,021  bales  ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.51  bale,  729  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  243  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Beaufort  county  lies  south  of  Washington  county  on  both  sides  of  the  Pamlico  river,  which  in  this  part  of  it k 
course  is  an  arm  of  the  sound  of  the  same  name,  from  2  to  6  miles  wide,  and'throws  off  several  wide  projections  or 
bays  into  the  county  on  both  sides.  It  is  bounded  on  the  east  by  Pungo  river,  another  broad  arm  of  Pamlico  sound, 
whose  waters  also  penetrate  the  county  in  numerous  wide  navigable  bayous.  A  considerable  proportion  of  tin; 
county  is  occupied  by  swamp  lands.  In  the  northern  section,  and  across  its  whole  breadth,  lies  tbe  western 
extremity  of  tin-  great  intersound  swam]),  which  attains  its  greatest  elevation  here  of  40  feet  above  tide.  In  this 
culminating  swell  between  the  Roanoke  and  Pamlico  rivers  rise  numerous  tributaries  of  these  rivers  and  of  the 
sounds.  The  central  portion  of  this  part  of  the  swamp  belongs  to  that  class  of  soils  described  as  "  pocoson  ",  and  i.s 
of  very  low  fertility.  Along  the  courses  of  the  streams  as  they  flow  out  from  this  swell  are  considerable  marginal 
tracts  of  semi-swamp  and  oak  flats,  which  are  very  productive.     There  are  also  belts  of  cypress  swamp  near  Pamlico 


34  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

river  and  the  other  streams  on  both  sides,  and  south  of  the  swamp,  in  the  middle  as  well  as  along  the  western 
edge  of  the  county,  the  land  is  mostly  a  level  piny  woods  with  a  light  sandy  soil.  In  the  eastern  portion  of  the  county, 
and  on  both  sides  of  the  Pamlico  river,  both  along  the  banks  of  this  river  and  of  the  before-mentioned  projections,  are 
large  tracts  of  oak  fiats  and  semi-swamp,  which  are  among  the  most  productive  soils  of  the  region.  Near  the  mouth 
of  Pungo  river  occurs  one  of  the  largest  prairies  or  natural  meadows,  savannas,  in  the  state,  embracing  an  area  of 
1,200  or  1,500  acres.  It  is  treeless  and  fringed  by  short -leaf  pine  and  oak  forests,  and  has  a  fine,  close,  gray  sandy 
soil,  as  impervious  as  clay.  Its  subsoil  is  of  the  same  character,  but  is  more  clayey,  and  is  of  a  slightly  yellowish 
color.  Marl  is  found  in  various  parts  of  the  county,  but  is  little  used.  Of  the  county  area,  10.99  per  cent,  is  tilled 
land,  of  which  27.01  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT   OF   THE   REPORT   OF   R.  W.  "WHARTON,  OF   WASHINGTON. 

Sandy  loams  and  clay  soils  are  in  about  equal  proportions,  and  near  the  rivers  are  tliin  sandy  loams  and  clays.  All  are  good  for 
cotton,  but  loams  are  preferred.     On  heavy  black  bottom  lands,  as  also  on  heavy  clay  upland,  cotton  is  liable  to  be  prematurely  frost-killed. 

The  sandy  loam  is  the  chief  soil,  and  occupies  one-half  of  the  lands  in  this  region.  Its  natural  timber  on  the  uplands  is  pine, 
intermixed  with  oak;  on  the  bottoms  the  growth  is  gum,  cypress,  ash,  and  poplar.  The  average  thickness  of  the  soil  is  2  feet  on  the 
bottoms  and  1  foot  on  the  uplands.  The  subsoil  is  heavier,  and  is  usually  yellow  or  grayish  under  the  loam  or  clay  soil  and  a  coarse  yellow 
saud  under  the  sandy  soil.  Cotton,  corn,  oats,  wheat,  sweet  and  Irish  potatoes,  peanuts,  and  field  pease  are  the  chief  crops.  The  soil  is  well 
adapted  to  all  the  above  crops  except  wheat,  which  requires  heavy  manuring.  The  proportion  of  laud  planted  in  cotton  is  one-third,  which 
is  most  productive  when  3+  feet  high.  It  incliues  to  run  to  weed  on  rich  lands  if  the  seasons  are  very  warm  and  wet,  for  which  early 
planting  and  the  use  of  phosphatic  manures  are  beneficial.  Fresh  land  produces  from  900  to  1,000  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,425 
pounds  ordinarily  making  a  475-pound  bale,  which,  when  clean,  rates  in  the  market  as  low  middling  and  middling  ;  but  much  depends  on 
ginning  and  handling.  After  six  years'  cultivation  the  land  will  produce  GOO  pounds  per  acre  if  proper  rotation  is  observed,  otherwise 
from  300  to  400  pounds,  from  1,485  to  1,540  pounds  being  needed  to  make  a  bale,  which  rates  two  grades  lower  than  staple  from  fresh 
land.  Crab-grass  aod  fennel  are  the  most  troublesome  weeds.  One-twentieth  of  this  land  now  lies  turned  out,  but  when  again  taken  in  it 
produces  for  two  or  three  years  as  well  as  original  soil.  The  soil  readily  washes  or  gullies  on  the  slopes,  but  no  great  damage  is  done, 
and  efforts  have  been  made,  with  good  success,  to  check  it  by  horizontalizing. 

Shipments  are  made,  from  the  20th  of  September  to  the  1st  of  February,  by  steamers  to  Norfolk,  Baltimore,  Philadelphia,  and  New 
York.     Rates  of  freight  are :  to  Norfolk,  $1 ;  to  New  York,  $2  per  bale. 

• 

PAMLICO. 

Population :  6,323.— White,  4,207 ;  colored,  2,116. 

Area  :  470  square  miles. — Woodland,  SO, 574  acres. 

Tilled  lands  :  16,989  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  4,585  acres ;  in  corn,  6,381  acres ;  in  wheat,  285  acres ;  in 
oats,  378  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  2,226  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.49  bale,  693  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  231  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Pamlico  county  is  bounded  on  the  east  by  Pamlico  sound,  and  is  enveloped  by  two  of  its  great  arms,  Pamlico 
and  Neuse  rivers.  Another  of  these  arms,  Bay  river,  with  its  numerous  bayous,  penetrates  the  central  portion 
of  the  county,  and  nearly  its  whole  border  is  deeply  indented  by  smaller  projections  from  the  sound.  A  large  part 
of  the  county  consists  of  swamp  lands  with  extensive  oak  and  beech  flats.  These  soils  are  very  rich.  Cotton  is  a 
leading  crop  in  this  county.  There  is  a  narrow  belt  of  sandy,  piny  woods  crossing  the  county  diagonally  from  the 
southeastern  angle  at  Wilkinson's  point  to  Durham's  creek  in  the  northwestern  corner.  Of  the  county  area,  only 
5.65  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  25.20  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT   OF   THE   REPORT   OF   J.   S.   LANE,  OF   STONEWALL. 

All  our  lands  are  low  and  mostly  bottoms.  The  chief  soil  is  the  stiff  or  clay  land,  which  forms  one-third  of  the  lands,  and  extends  at 
intervals  over  the  whole  county.  Its  natural  timber  is  pine,  cypress,  juniper,  cedar,  poplar,  maple,  ash,  oak,  holly,  and  black  and  sweet 
gum.  The  soil  is  grayish  in  color  to  the  depth  of  from  6  to  12  inches.  The  subsoil  is  considerably  more  compact  than  the  surface  soil, 
and  is  impervious  to  water.  We  have  surface  drains  on  all  our  stiff  lauds.  The  chief  crops  are  cotton,  corn,  rice,  sweet  and  Irish 
potatoes,  wheat,  and  oats,  and  the  soil  is  well  adapted  to  all.  Cotton  occupies  about  two-fifths  of  the  cleared  land  and  usually  attains  a 
height  of  from  3  to  5  feet,  but  is  most  productive  at  3  or  4  feet;  it  inclines  to  ruu  to  weed  when  we  have  morning  rains  about  fruiting 
time,  which  causes  the  fruit  to  drop  and  the  stalk  to  continue  to  grow.  Fresh  land  produces  from  1,500  to  2,000  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per 
acre,  and  1,485  pounds  will  make  a  475-pound  bale,  which  rates  in  the  market  as  good  ordinary  to  low  middling.  After  eight  years' 
cultivation  the  yield  is  1,000  pounds,  and  1,465  pounds  are  needed  to  make  a  bale,  the  grade  being  about  the  same  as  that  from  fresh  land. 
The  most  troublesome  weeds  are  rag-weed,  dog-fennel,  and  Spanish  needle.  No  land  now  lies  turned  out,  and  it  is  not  subject  to  wash,  as 
our  land  is  level. 

About  one-half  of  the  lands  in  this  region  are  the  black  alluvial  soils,  which  exteud  throughout  a  large  portion  of  the  adjoining 
counties,  and  are  timbered  with  oak,  ash,  pine,  poplar,  beech,  maple,  holly,  elm,  juniper,  and  cypress.  This  soil  produces  well  while 
fresh,  but  becomes  worthless  for  cotton  by  long  cultivation  unless  well  marled  or  limed.  The  cost  of  cotton  production  is  10  cents  per 
pound. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made,  from  October  to  March,  to  Norfolk,  New  Berne,  and  Baltimore.  Rates  of  freight  per  bale  are :  to  Norfolk, 
$1  50;  to  New  Berne.,  50  cents. 

CRAVEN. 

Population:  19,729.— White,  6,664;  colored,  13,065. 
Area:  S20  square  miles. — Woodland,  197,135  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  50,853  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  12,838  acres;  in  corn,  19,001  acres;  in  wheat,  235  acres; 
in  oats,  333  acres. 

5G6 


AGRICULTURAL  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  COUNTIES.  35 

Cotton  production :  5,782  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.45  bale,  642  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  214  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Craven  is  a  large,  straggling  county,  stretching  60  miles  along  tlie  lower  readies  of  the  Neuse  river,  which  passes 
through  its  center  and  draius  its  entire  area.  The  physical  description  of  its  territory,  especially  the  southern  and 
eastern  sections,  is  identical  with  that  of  the  two  preceding  counties.  It  consists  largely  of  swamps,  pocoson,  and 
oak  flats.  The  section  lying  north  of  the  Neuse  river  belongs  for  the  most  part  in  its  agricultural  features  to  the 
second  subdivision,  or  long-leaf  pine  belt,  having  considerable  tracts  of  pine  flats  and  long-leaf  pine  ridges,  with  a 
soil  often  very  sandy  and  unproductive.  Near  its  upper  margin  it  is  penetrated  by  considerable  tracts  of  swamp 
and  semi-swamp  lands,  which  project  southward  from  Pamlico  river  and  form  properly  the  western  extension  of 
Bay  River  swamp.  Along  the  southern  shore  of  Xeuse  river  the  soil  is  mainly  a  close  gray  loam.  The  great  Dover 
pocoson,  occupying  more  than  100  square  miles  in  its  southwestern  angle,  is  elevated  GO  feet  above  tide  in  its  central 
part,  and  is  very  flat  and  sterile  for  the  most  part,  but  has  strips  of  oak  and  pine  flats  radiating  in  all  directions  from 
the  center  along  the  numerous  streams.  Of  the  county  area,  9.G8  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  25.25  per  cent, 
is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT  OF  THE  REPORTS  OF  CHARLES  DUFFY,  JR.,  AND  JOHN  HUMPHREY,  OF  NEW  BEENE. 

There  is  not  a  great  deal  of  rolling  land  in  this  vicinity,  and  the  kinds  of  soil  cultivated  in  cotton  are:  brown  lands,  with  fine  clay 
subsoils;  lowlands  of  the  great  swamp;  and  last,  the  light  sandy  soil  on  the  banks  of  the  Neuse  river. 

The  brown  uplands  are  the  best  for  cotton,  and  a  large  proportion  of  the  region  is  of  this  kind.  The  soil  is  timbered  with  pine,  gum, 
holly,  hickory,  and  dogwood,  and  its  thickness  is  from  3  to  6  inches.  The  subsoil  is  heavier,  and  is  usually  a  clay,  underlaid  at  a  depth 
of  from  b'  to  20  feet  with  shell  marl,  and  in  some  places  by  hard-pan,  which  is  leachy  and  impervious  to  water.  Cotton,  corn,  oats,  rye, 
pease,  and  potatoes  are  the  leading  crops,  but  the  soil  seems  best  adapted  to  corn  and  cotton,  and  the  latter  occupies  probably  20  per  cent. 
of  the  cultivated  laud.  Cotton  attains  the  height  of  from  18  to  36  inches,  but  inclines  to  run  to  weed  in  wet  seasons,  to  prevent  which 
■we  use  marling  and  thorough  draining.  The  yield  is  from  1,000  to  1,500  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  from  1,425  to  1,540  pounds  being 
required  for  a  475-pound  bale,  which,  when  clean,  rates  as  middling  to  good  middling'.  After  ten  years'  successive  cultivation  the  yield 
is  from  300  to  500  pounds  per  acre,  and  then  from  1,485  to  1,600  pounds  is  needed  to  make  a  bale,  which  rates  a  grade  or  two  lower  than 
that  from  fresh  land.  The  most  troublesome  weeds  are  dog-fennel,  hog-  and  carrot-weed.  About  10  per  cent,  of  the  land  originally 
cultivated  now  lies  turned  out,  but  when  taken  in  cultivation  again  it  does  admirably.  Some  damage  is  done  by  gullies  and  washes  on 
slopes. 

The  swamp  land  occupies  about  10  per  cent,  of  the  lands  in  this  region.  Its  uatural  timber  is  gums,  cypress,  oak,  poplar,  and  large 
pines  (short-leaf).  The  average  thickness  of  the  soil  is  from  1  to  3  feet,  when  it  changes  into  subsoil,  which  is  heavier  than  the  soil,  and 
is  usually  a  clay  resting  on  sand  and  pebbles,  and  then  on  marl  or  rock.  The  soil  is  early  and  warm  when  well  draiued,  and  is  apparently 
best  adapted  to  corn,  but  makes  good  cotton.  The  proportion  of  cotton  planted  is  5  per  cent,  which  usually  attains  and  is  most  productive 
at  the  height  of  3  feet.  Fresh  land  produces  from  1,000  to  2, 000  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,425  pounds  being  needed  for  a  475-pound 
bale,  which  rates  the  same  in  the  market  as  that  from  the  brown  uplands.  It  produces  after  ten  years'  cultivation  from  1,000  to  1,500 
pounds  per  acre,  1,425  pounds  being  required  to  make  a  bale.  The  staple  is  usually  better  than  that  from  fresh  land.  The  soil  is  but 
little  subject  to  gullies;  no  damage  is  done. 

The  light  sandy  soil  also  occupies  about  10  per  cent,  of  the  lands  in  this  region,  and  has  a  growth  of  oak,  hickory,  pine,  and  dogwood. 
The  color  is  a  whitish  gray  to  the  depth  of  6  inches,  when  it  changes  to  that  of  the  subsoil,  which  is  a  yellow  sand  and  clay,  never  difficult 
to  till.  This  soil  is  admirably  adapted  to  truck-farming,  and  with  proper  fertilizers  many  early  vegetables  of  the  finest  quality  can  be 
produced.     Cotton  inclines  to  run  to  weed  on  this  soil  in  very  dry  seasons.     The  staple  from  the  fresh  land  rates,  when  clean,  as  middling. 

Shipments  are  made,  from  October  1  to  January  1,  by  steamboat  to  Norfolk,  New  York,  and  Boston.  Rates  of  freight  per  bale  are 
$2  and  $3. 

CARTERET. 

i 

Population:  9,784.— White,  7,107;  colored,  2,677. 

Area:  407  square  miles. — Woodland,  07,211  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  17,984  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  2,936  acres;  in  corn,  5,156  acres ;  in  wheat,  418  acres; 
in  oats,  107  acres. 

Cotton  production :  1,014  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.35  bale,  492  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  164  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Carteret  county  occupies  a  long  strip  of  country  south  of  Craven  county  and  of  Pamlico  sound,  and  is  bounded 
southward  by  the  Atlantic  ocean.  It  is  traversed  east  and  west  through  the  middle  by  a  succession  of  swamps,  the 
largest  of  which,  occupying  its  eastern  peninsular  projection,  is  called  the  Open  Ground  Prairie  swamp.  This  is  a 
peat  swamp,  quite  barren  in  its  middle  parts,  but  fringed  around  its  margin  with  oak  flats  and  gray  silty  soil.  There 
is  also  a  line  of  sand  islands  (sand  dunes)  along  the  coast,  and  inland,  parallel  to  the  coast,  are  several  ridges  of 
long  leaf  pine  sandy  lands.  The  highest  part  of  the  county  is  only  37  feet  above  tide.  Carteret  has  the  advantage 
of  the  best  harbor  on  the  coast  of  this  state.  Of  the  county  area,  6.90  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  1G.33  per 
cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT   OF   THE  REPORT   OF   A.  OAKSMITH,  OF  HOLLYWOOD  (J.  H.  BECTON  ALSO   FURNISHED  A  REPORT). 

The  soils  on  ridges,  as  also  on  the  high  hanks  bordering  on  Bogue  sound,  we  term  the  uplands.  In  seasons  of  drought  our  lowland  cotton 
lands  do   the  best ;  in  ordinary  seasons,  upon  an  average,  the  uplands  are  most  reliable. 

The  chief  soil  cultivated  in  cotton  is  a  liyht  sandy  loam,  which  occupies  the  larger  portion  of  the  lands  in  this  region,  embracing  all  the 
uplands,  plains,  and  ridges,  and  is  timbered  mostly  with  the  different  varieties  of  pine,  with  some  oak.  The  soil  is  a  fine  and  coarse 
sandy  loam  of  a  mixed  gray,  buff,  and  brown  color  to  the  depth  of  20  inches,  when  it  changes  into  that  of  the  subsoil,  which  is  heavier 
than  the  soil,  and  varies  at  different  places,  being  in  some  places  a  strong  bluish  clay,  in  others  a  species  of  marl  and  a  black  peculiar 
rocky  substance. 

567 


.. 


36  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

The  chief  crops  are  cotton,  corn,  rye,  oats,  wheat,  sorghum,  Irish  and  sweet  potatoes,  and  truck,  but  the  soil  is  apparently  best  adapted 
to  cotton,  corn,  sorghum,  and  sweet  potatoes.  Cotton  attains  the  average  height  of  3  feet,  and  runs  to  weed  in  wet  weather.  Fresh 
land  produces  about  800  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  about  1,435  pounds  making  a  475-pound  bale,  which  rates  as  middling  when 
clean.  After  two  years'  cultivation  the  product  is  from  600  to  700  pounds  per  acre,  about  1,540  pounds  being  needed  to  make  a  bale,  the 
staple  rating  as  low  middling.  Jerusalem  oak  and  dog-fennel  are  the  most  troublesome  weeds.  About  one-third  of  land  once  cultivated 
now  lies  tinned  out. 

The  bottom  lands  of  Newport  river  are  black  prairie,  with  a  darker  heavy  sandy  loam  soil. 

In  the  lowlands  are  alluvial  deposits  and  black  swamp  lands.     Very  little  cotton  is  planted  on  these  last  two  soils. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  in  November  by  rail  to  New  Berne  at  75  cents  per  bale. 

JOXES. 

Population:  7,491.— White,  3,212 ;  colored,  4,270. 

Area:  3S9  square  miles. — Woodland,  134,598  acres. 

Tilled  land:  53.458  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  8,463  acres;  in  corn,  19,425  acres;  in  wheat,  429  acres;  in 
rye,  245  acres ;  in  oats,  455  acres. 

Cotton  production :  4,078  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.4S  bale,  687  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  220  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

The  great  tract  of  swamp  land  which  lies  between  the  STeuse  river  and  the  Atlantic  ocean  and  extends  through  a 
considerable  portion  of  the  two  preceding  counties  projects  westward  into  Jones  comity,  where  it  reaches  its  highest 
elevation  of  40  feet,  and  is  crowned  by  a  chain  of  small  lakes  of  from  1  to  3  or  4  miles  diameter  on  the  summit,  on 
the  border  of  Jones  and  Carteret  counties.  The  northern  border  of  the  county  is  occupied  by  a  portion  of  the  great 
Dover  pocoson,  which  projects  into  it  from  Craven.  In  its  middle  and  southern  sections  lies  a  great  part  of  the 
great  White  Oak  swamp,  the  central  portion  of  which  is  also  a  pocoson;  but  it  is  margined  about  with*  fringes  of 
canebrake  lands,  white-oak  flats,  and  cranberry  marshes,  as  well  as  by  considerable  tracts  of  swamp  lauds  covered 
with  oak,  cypress,  gum,  poplar,  ash,  etc.  Trent  river  flows  through  the  center  and.  with  its  tributaries,  drains  almost 
its  entire  area.  Along  this  river  on  both  sides  are  considerable  bodies  of  long-leaf  pine  sandy  lands.  There  are  also 
along  the  main  river,  as  well  as  its  tributaries,  narrow  strips  of  oak  flats  aud  occasional  gum  and  cypress  swamps. 
The  county  resembles,  therefore,  very  closely  the  two  last  described  in  physical  features  aud  in  products  and 
industries.     Of  the  county  area,  21.47  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  15.83  percent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT  OF  THE  EFFORT  OF  H.  C.  FOSCUE,  OF  POLLOCKSYTLLE. 

On  the  Trent  river,  for  a  mile  on  each  side,  there  is  a  level  tract  of  land  with  a  light  soil;  then  we  have  a  gray  land  with  stiff  clay 
subsoil.  The.  stiff'  soils  are  most  generally  used  for  cotton,  but  fair  crops  are  made  on  the  light  soil.  Our  best  is  the  light  noil  having 
a.  clay  subsoil.  This  soil  is  more  easily  drained  and  cultivated,  and  the  cotton  matures  better,  and  makes  the  best  yield.  It  occupies  ah. nit 
one-eighth  of  the  land  in  this  region,  and  is  found  in  a  belt  along  the  Trent  river  between  the  very  light  lands  and  those  with  very  heavy 
clay  subsoils.  The  timber  is  oak,  hickory,  poplar,  and  dogwood.  The  average  thickness  of  the  soil  before  its  color  changes  into  that  ef 
the  subsoil  is  from  6  to  18  inches.  The  subsoil  is  clay,  but  not  close  pipe-clay.  Cotton  is  the  market  crop,  nearly  all  other  crops  being 
raised  for  home  consumption,  but  corn  is  perhaps  best  adapted  to  the  soil.  The  proportion  of  cotton  planted  is  one-third.  It  is  most 
productive  at  the  height  of  3  feet,  and  is  inclined  to  run  to  weed  when  planted  late  or  in  ill-drained  land;  but  efforts  are  made  to  restrain 
this  by  draining  and  the  use  of  lime.  Fresh  land  produces  700  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,425  pounds  being  needed  for  a  475-pound 
bale,  which,  when  clean,  rates  in  the  market  as  middling.  After  five  years'  cultivation  it  produces  about  300  pounds  per  acre,  and  from 
1,485  to  1,540  pounds  are  needed  for  a  475-pound  bale.  The  lint  is  much  shorter  and  not  so  strong  as  that  from  fresh  land.  Hog-weed  is 
the  most  troublesome  weed.  The  proportion  of  land  once  cultivated  now  lying  out  is  very  small ;  it  washes  and  gullies  on  the  slopes,  but 
the  damage  is  not  great.  The  valleys  are  injured  by  the  washings  to  a  small  extent,  and  efforts  have  been  made  to  check  it  by 
horizoutalizing  with  good  success. 

The  stiff  lanel,  of  which  two-thirds  is  planted  in  cotton,  extends  from  5  to  10  miles  back  from  the  river,  and  is  timbered  with  pine 
and  has  an  undergrowth  of  gallberry.  The  soil  is  best  adapted  to  cotton,  and  is  a  gray  clay  loam  to  the  depth  of  from  1  to  2  feet.  Cotton 
occupies  two-thirds  of  the  land  that  is  cleared.  The  stalk  grows  to  the  height  of  4  feet,  but  is  most  productive  at  3  feet.  In  wet 
seasons,  and  when  planted  late,  the  cotton  inclines  to  run  to  weed,  but  by  drainage  and  lime  this  tendency  can  be  checked.  The  land,  when 
fresh,  will  yield  from  500  to  700  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,425  pounds  making  a  475-pound  bale.  This  staple  rates  in  the  market  as 
middling  when  clean.  After  five  years'  cultivation  the  soil  yields  300  pounds  per  acre,  and  then  1,485  pounds  make  a  bale.  The  staple  is 
much  shorter  than  that  from  fresh  land.  About  one-tenth  of  this  land  once  cultivated  now  lies  turned  out,  and  when  taken  into  cultivation 
again  it  does  not  do  so  well  for  the  first  year,  as  it  is  then  sour. 

Cotton  is  shipped  to  New  Berne.     Kates  of  freight  per  bale  are  from  40  to  75  cents. 

OXSLOW. 

Population:  0,820.— White,  6,600 ;  colored,  3,220. 

Area:  645  square  miles. — Woodland,  212,866  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  56,120  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  6, 60S  acres;  in  corn,  23,259  acres;  in  oats,  96  acres. 

Cotton  production:  2.S41  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.43  bale,  600  pounds  seed-cottoD,  or  203  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

The  identical  terms  used  in  the  description  of  the  preceding  county  might  be  repeated  for  Onslow.  Nearly  one- 
half  of  the  White  Oak  swamp  lies  in  its  northern  section,  and  from  it  flow  most  of  the  streams  by  which  the  county 
is  drained.  The  best  agricultural  lands  of  the  county  lie  along  the  margin  of  this  swamp.  A  great  part  of  it  is 
drained  southward  into  Sew  river,  which  traverses  the  entire  length  of  the  county  from  north  to  south.  Tin's  river 
for  one-half  of  its  length  is  a  broad,  navigable  bay,  from  1  to  2  miles  wide,  and  is  famous  for  its  fine  oysters  and  fish. 
On  both  sides  of  it  are  large  tracts  of  upland  piny  woods,  with  a  gray  sandy  soil,  which  are  admirably  adapted  to  the 

508 


AGRICULTURAL  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  COUNTIES.  37 

production  of  cotton.  Nearer  the  sea-coast  and  its  fringe  of  sounds  the  soils  are  more  sandy,  and  are  covered  with 
long-leaf  pines  as  their  principal  growth,  a  similar  large  tract  occupying  its  northwestern  section.  Tbere  are 
numerous  narrow  fringes  of  cypress  swamps  along  the  various  streams.  A  portion  of  the  southwestern  side  of  this 
county  is  penetrated  by  the  Holly  Shelter  pocoson.  The  productions  of  this  county  are  similar  to  those  of  the 
preceding.  Of  the  county  area,  13.59  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  11.80  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 
Shipping  is  done  by  way  of  New  river,  which  is  navigable  to  the  middle  of  the  county. 

PENDER. 

Population:  12,468.— White,  5,509 ;  colored,  0,959. 

Area  :  889  square  miles. — Woodland,  287, 7<J0  acres. 

Tilled  lands :  38,156  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  1,403  acres;  in  corn,  16,550  acres;  in  wheat,  7  acres;  in 
oats,  1S3  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  S35  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.57  bale,  813  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  271  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Pender  county,  like  the  preceding,  is  bounded  in  part  on  the  south  by  the  Atlantic  ocean,  with  its  fringe  of 
sounds,  marshes,  and  dunes,  and  is  drained  southward  by  the  waters  of  the  Northeast  Cape  Fear  river.  Holly 
Shelter  pocoson  occupies  a  large  part  of  the  southeastern  section,  and  from  it  flow  numerous  creeks  into  the  above- 
mentioned  river,  while  others  flow  directly  into  the  Atlantic.  The  central  portion  and  larger  part  of  this  great  pocoson, 
which  contains  about  100  square  miles,  is  quite  barren,  but  around  its  margin,  especially  toward  the  river,  are 
considerable  tracts  of  white-oak  flats,  canebrake,  and  .swamp  lands,  with  their  characteristic  growths  and  soils. 
In  the  northeastern  section  lies  the  half  of  another  similar  pocoson  nearly  as  large,  called  Augola  bay,  and  in  the 
center  of  the  western  half  of  the  county  is  a  third  but  much  smaller  swamp  of  the  same  general  character.  The 
western  side  of  the  county  for  the  breadth  of  from  0  to  8  miles  belongs  to  the  region  of  upland  piny  woods,  the 
principal  growth  being  long-leaf  pines,  with  an  undergrowth  of  oaks,  hickory,  dogwood,  etc.,  and  a  sandy  soil ;  but 
some  of  it  approaches  the  character  of  the  regular  "  sand-hills",  with  pine  and  oak  flats  here  and  there.  Along  the 
streams  are  generally  alluvial  belts  or  swamps  and  oak  flats,  which  are  the  corn  lands  of  the  county.  A  savanna 
of  several  square  miles  is  found  in  the  upper  end  of  the  county,  which  merges  northward  into  a  barren  pocoson  of 
still  greater  extent.  Marl  abounds  in  all  parts  of  the  county,  and  Eocene  limestone  is  found  along  the  principal  river 
above  named.     These  add  greatly  to  its  agricultural  advantages. 

The  cotton  product  is  inconsiderable;  the  remaining  products  are  corn,  rice,  potatoes,  lumber,  and  naval  stores. 

Of  the  county  area,  0.71  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  3.83  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

Cotton  and  other  products  are  shipped  to  Wilmington  and  Norfolk  by  rail,  or  to  the  former  by  the  two  Cape 
Eear  rivers,  which  form  the  boundaries  east  and  west. 

NEW  HANOVER. 

Population:  21,370.— White,  8,159 ;  colored,  13,217. 

Area  :  182  square  miles. — Woodland,  39,003  acres. 

Tilled  lands  :  7,390  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  142  acres;  in  corn,  2,008  acres;  in  oats,  SO  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  06  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.46  bale,  663  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  221  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

New  Hanover  is  one  of  the  smallest  counties  in  the  state,  and  consists  of  a  narrow  triangular  wedge  between 
the  Cape  Fear  river  on  the  west  and  the  Atlantic  coast  on  the  east,  with  its  narrow  fringe  of  sounds,  marshes,  and 
dunes.  The  margins  of  the  streams  and  sounds  are  bordered  in  manyy  places  by  narrow  strips  of  oak  and  pine 
flats  with  a  gray  silty  soil.  The  central  portion  of  the  county,  as  well  as  the  dunes  along  the  shore,  are  sandy  and 
unproductive;  but  there  are  tracts  of  alluvial  and  swamp-land  river  bottoms  along  the  Cape  Fear  which  produce 
large  crops  of  rice.  The  county  contains  the  largest  city  in  the  state,  Wilmington  (population  nearly  20,000).  It 
is  also  the  most  important  seaport,  and  has  a  large  foreign  as  well  as  inland  trade  in  lumber,  naval  stores,  and 
cotton,  both  by  means  of  its  railways  and  navigable  rivers.  Of  the  county  area,  0.35  per  cent,  is  tilled  laud,  of 
which  1.92  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT  OF  THE  REPORT  OF  A.  R.  BLACK,  OF  WILMINGTON. 

Cypress  swamps  are  not,  hnt  sand  flats  (pocosons)  are,  very  extensive  in  this  county.  Very  good  alluvial  lauds  are  to  be  found 
on  both  branches  of  the  Cape  Fear  river,  and  sandy  loams  abound  near  these  rivers  and  along  the  coast.  The  kinds  of  soils  cultivated  in 
cotton  are  pine,  oak,  and  hickory  flats,  with  clay  subsoils  which  are  inclined  to  be  still".  The  proportion  of  the  lands  in  the  region  of  this  kind  is 
very  small,  not  exceeding  3  per  cent.  The  cotton  lands  are  generally  found  near  the  streams  and  interspersed  along  the  coast,  and  are 
timbered  principally  with  long-leaf  pine,  with  some  short-leaf  pine,  hickory,  dogwood,  red  oak.  chjncapin,  and  sweet  gum.  The  average 
thickness  of  the  soil  is  from  4  to  6  inches,  with  a  subsoil  of  clay,  mixed  more  or  less  with  sand,  under  cotton  lands.  The  chief  crops  are  peanuts, 
corn,  rice,  sweet  and  Irish  potatoes,  and  garden  track,  but  the  soil  is  best  adapted  to  peanuts  and  rice.  The  proportion  of  cotton  planted  is  not 
one  acre  in  one  hundred.  The  height  usually  attained  by  the  cotton-plant  is  :S  feet,  and  it  is  most  productive  at  that  height.  It  inclines 
to  run  to  weed  when  planted  in  swamp  lands,  but  guano  or  manure  favors  boiling.  Fresh  land  produces  from  500  to  1,000  pounds  of  seed- 
cotton  per  acre,  about  1,540  pounds  making  a  475-pound  bale,  the  staple  rating  as  middling  when  clean.  After  several  year.-.'  cultivation 
the  product  ranges  from  400  to  800  pounds  per  acre,  the  staple  rating  the  same  as  that  from  fresh  land.  Crab-grass  islhe  most  troublesome. 
About  5  per  cent,  of  land  once  cultivated  now  lies  turned  out. 

Cotton  is  generally  hauled  to  Wilmington  during  November  by  river  and  rail. 

009 


38  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

BKUNSWICK. 

Population:  9,389.— White,  5,337 ;  colored,  4,052. 

Area :  814  square  miles. — Woodland,  304,722  acres. 

Tilled  lands :  18,006  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  385  acres ;  in  corn,  4,915  acres ;  in  wheat,  S  acres ;  in  oats, 
240  acres. 

Cotton  production:  244  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.63  bale,  903  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  301  pouuds 
cotton  lint. 

Brunswick  county  lies  on  the  west  side  of  the  Cape  Fear  river,  and  touches  the  Atlantic  on  the  south.  Its 
central  and  western  portion  is  occupied  by  the  great  pocoson  known  as  Green  swamp,  which,  with  its  many  projections, 
covers  nearly  half  of  the  territory  of  the  county.  This  swamp  is  bordered  by  wide  tracts  of  canebrakes,  and 
contains  extensive  areas  of  gum,  cypress,  and  juniper  swamps,  which  have  been  for  half  a  century  the  ceuter  of  a 
large  lumber  trade.  The  various  streams  which  How  from  this  swamp  to  all  points  of  the  compass  are  bordered  by 
oak  flats,  tracts  of  semi-swamp,  and  often  by  canebrakes,  and  in  the  body  of  it  are  numerous  hummocks  or  flat 
ridges  having  a  silty  soil  and  a  growth  of  short-leaf  pine  and  small  oaks.  Between  the  arms  of  the  swamp,  on  the 
narrow  divides,  and  particularly  in  the  southern  portion  of  the  county,  near  the  sea-shore,  are  patches  of  long-leaf 
pine  lauds  with  sandy  soils,  and  elsewhere  of  level  piny  woods,  valuable  for  lumber  and  naval  stores.  Along  tbe 
(Jape  Fear  are  large  bodies  of  alluvial  lands  of  unsurpassed  fertility,  which  are  among  the  best  rice  soils  iu  this 
country.  YVaccamaw  lake  occupies  the  highest  part  of  Green  swamp,  and  covers  an  area  of  about  40  square  mdes. 
Naval  stores  and  lumber  are,  of  course,  the  principal  interests,  agriculture  being  of  subordinate  importance,  and 
limited  mainly  to  the  cultivation  of  rice,  of  which  its  product  is  more  than  double  that  of  any  other  county  iu 
the  state.    Of  the  county  area,  3.40  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  2.14  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT  OF  THE  REPORT  OP  W.  G.   CURTIS,  OF  SMITHVTELE. 

The  chief  soil  cultivated  in  cotton  is  a  fine  sandy  loam,  and  the  most  of  the  land  in  this  region  is  of  this  description,  extending  fifty 
miles  in  each  direction.  Its  natural  timber  is  pine,  intermixed  with  black-jack  and  other  varieties  of  oak.  The  soil  is  gray  to  the 
depth  of  6  inches,  but  the  subsoil  is  heavier,  being  a  clay  intermixed  with  sand.  The  chief  crops  are  corn,  sweet  potatoes,  cotton,  and 
rice,  and  the  soil  is  about  equally  adapted  to  all,  except  that  sweet  potatoes  will  grow  on  poorer  land  than  the  others.  The  height 
usually  attained  by  cotton  is  from  2J  to  3  feet,  and  it  is  most  productive  at  that  height.  When  planted  on  very  rich  lowlands,  or  on  soils 
having  a  sandy  subsoil,  the  cotton-plant  is  inclined  to  run  to  weed.  Fresh  land  produces  900  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,425  pounds 
making  a  475-pound  bale,  which,  when  clean,  rates  as  low  middling  and  middling.  After  years  of  cultivation  it  rapidly  depreciates, 
unless  kept  up  by  manuring,  and  1,660  pounds  are  then  needed  for  a  475-pound  bale.  The  staple  is  much  shorter  than  that  from  fresh 
land.  Crab- and  cane-grass  are  troublesome.  Very  little  of  such  land  originally  cultivated  now  lies  "turned  out".  It  does  very  well 
after  resting  a  year  or  two,  but  it  is  subject  to  gullying,  and  the  damage  is  serious.  The  valleys  are  benefited  by  the  washings  of  the 
uplands. 

Shipments  are  made  by  rail  and  river,  in  December  and  January,  to  Wilmington;  rate  of  freight  per  bale,  40  cents. 

COLUMBUS. 

Population  :  14,439.— White,  8,926 ;  colored,  5,513. 

Area :  895  square  miles. — Woodland,  357,014  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  38,293  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  2,113  acres;  in  corn,  15,723  acres;  in  wheat,  38  acres;  in 
oats,  267  acres. 

Cotton  production :  930  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.44  bale,  627  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  209  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Columbus  county  lies  farther  inland  and  contains  a  larger  proportion  of  upland  piny  woods  soil  than 
Brunswick.  It  is  penetrated  through  all  its  parts  by  narrow  belts  of  gum  and  cypress  swamp  and  considerable  tracts 
of  oak  and  pine  flats.  The  average  soil  of  its  upland  piny  woods  is  of  moderate  fertility,  well  adapted  to  the  growth 
of  cotton,  but  tbe  richer  swamp  and  gray-loam  lands  are  devoted  principally  to  corn.  Brown  marsh  and  White  marsh 
are  two  large  bodies  of  swamp  in  the  eastern  side  of  the  county,  and  Gum  swamp  and  others  of  less  extent  are  found 
in  the  south  and  west.  The  production  of  cotton,  potatoes,  and  rice  divides  with  lumber  and  naval  stores  the 
interest  of  its  people.  Marl  is  found  in  several  parts  of  the  county.  Of  the  county  area  6.69  per  cent,  is  tilled 
land,  of  which  5.52  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT   OF   THE   REPORT   OF  D.  S.  COWAN,  OF   ROBESON. 

The  oak  and  hickory  ridges  have  a  light  loam  soil  and  a  clay  subsoil.  The  pine  lands  are  stiff  and  heavy,  and  have  a  clay  subsoil, 
generally  underlaid  with  hard-pan.  Marl  underlies  this  whole  region.  Cotton  in  the  lowlands  runs  to  weed,  and  does  not  fruit  well.  The 
kinds  of  soils  cultivated  in  cotton  are :  first,  the  oak  and  hickory  ridges ;  second,  the  lowlands  of  Livingston  creek  above  overflow ;  third, 
the  cypress  swamps,  reclaimed.  The  oak  and  hickory  is  the  chief  soil,  the  proportion  of  this  kind  of  land  being  about  40  per  cent.  Its 
natural  timber  is  piue,  oak,  hickory,  dogwood,  maple,  holly,  walnut,  and  chincapin.  The  soil  is  a  light  clay  loam,  prairie-like,  the  color 
being  brown  or  orange  red,  which  does  not  bake  or  become  sticky,  and  the  average  thickness  9  inches.  The  subsoil  is  heavier,  the  color 
being  generally  a  light  red,  sometimes  gray,  and  sometimes  underlaid  with  hard-pan,  which  is  quite  impervious,  and  contains  a  limy 
substance,  underlaid  by  clay  at  from  1  foot  to  3  feet.  The  chief  crops  are  corn,  potatoes,  cotton,  pease,  oats,  rye,  and  vegetables  of  every 
description,  the  soil  suiting  them  all  remarkably  well.  The  proportion  of  cotton  planted  is  one- tenth,  which  is  most  productive  at  3£  feet, 
but  iu  very  wet  weather  it  is  apt  to  run  to  weed.  Fresh  land  produces  S00  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,400  pounds  making  a 
475-pound  balo,  which,  when  clean,  rates  as  good  middling.  After  four  years'  cultivation  the  yield  is  500  pounds  per  acre,  and  then 
1,425  pounds  are  needed  to  make  a  bale,  but  it  does  not  compare  favorably  with  that  from  fresh  land.  C'ocklebur  and  hog-weed  are  most 
troublesome.  About  5  per  cent,  of  such  land  originally  cultivated  lies  turned  out,  and  when  again  taken  in,  if  marled,  it  does  well. 
It  is  subject  to  gullying  on  the  slopes,  but  the  damage  is  not  serious. 

The  soil  of  the  level  pine  lands  (pine  flats)  is  heavy,  black,  and  smooth,  with  no  sand  in  it,  and  forms  about  20  per  cent,  of  the  lands. 
The  average  thickness  of  the  soil  is  2  inches.  The  subsoil  is  a  sticky,  fine  clay,  sometimes  pure  white,  resembling  kaolin,  with  hard-pan 
underneath,  and  impervious;  it  is  difficult  to  till  in  wet  and  in  dry  seasons,  and  is  too  flat  to  drain  cheaply.  Native  grasses  for  pasturing 
are  apparently  best  adapted  to  this  soil. 

Cotton  shipments  are  mfvde  in  December  by  rail  to  Wilmington ;  freight,  $1  per  bale. 
bid 


AGRICULTURAL  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  COUNTIES.  39 


LONG-LEAF    PINE    REGION. 

(Embraces  the  following  counties  and  parts  of  counties  :  Gates,  Hertford,  Bertie,  Northampton,  Halifax,  Nash, 
Edgecombe,  Pitt,  Greene,  Martin,  Wilson,  Johnston,  Wayne,  Lenoir,  Duplin,  Sampson,  Cumberland,  Harnett, 
Moore,  Eichmond,  Eobeson,  and  Bladen.) 

GATES. 

Population:  8,897,-White,  4,973;  colored,  3,924. 

Area  :  339  square  miles. — Woodland,  101,016  acres. 

Tilled  lands :  48,S21  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  5,707  acres;  in  corn,  21,946  acres ;  in  wheat,  708  acres;  in 
oats,  1,210  acres. 

Cotton  production :  1,863  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.33  bale,  465  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  155  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Gates  county  lies  between  the  Chowan  river  and  the  Dismal  swamp,  of  which  it  includes  a  considerable  section. 
The  body  of  the  county  consists  of  level  piny  uplands,  with  a  sandy  loam  soil.  It  has  a  narrow  strip  of  very  sandy, 
long-leaf  pine  land  near  the  Chowan  river,  and  also  in  the  southeastern  corner  of  the  county.  Along  the  Chowan 
river  and  its  tributaries  are  tracts  of  cypress  swamp  from  1  to  2  and  3  miles  wide.  Near  the  smaller  streams  are 
narrow  tracts  of  pine  and  oak  flats  having  a  gray  clay  loam  soil.  (For  details  see  very  full  account  below,  by  Mr. 
Gatling.)  Marl  is  found  in  the  banks  of  the  Chowan  river  and  in  the  southern  end  of  the  county.  Of  the  county 
area,  22.50  per  cent,  is  under  tillage,  of  which  11.69  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT   OF   THE   REPORT   OF   J.  J.  GATLING,  OF   GATLINGTON. 

The  following  kinds  of  soils  are  cultivated  in  cotton:  No.  1,  light  soil,  with  red-clay  foundation;  No.  2,  sandy  soil,  with  sandy 
foundation ;  No.  3,  clayey  and  stiff  soils,  with  pipe-clay  foundation.  The  chief  one  is  a  light  soil,  which  forms  about  one-fourth  of  the  lands 
in  this  region,  and  extends  a  considerable  distance  north,  west,  and  east.  Its  natural  timber  is  a  mixed  growth — pine,  oak,  dogwood, 
maple,  holly,  and  sweet  gum.  The  soil  is  a  whitish  gray  or  black,  according  to  location,  to  the  depth  of  from  6  to  8  inches.  The  subsoil 
is  heavier  than  the  surface  soil,  being  a  red  clay,  which  in  some  places  is  mixed  with  sand,  and  is  sometimes  impervious,  but  not  generally  so. 
Corn,  cotton,  sweet  and  Irish  potatoes,  wheat,  oats,  pease,  and  peanuts  are  the  chief  crops.  The  land  tills  eas  ily  in  dry  seasons,  is  early  and 
■warm  where  it  is  well  drained,  and  the  soil  is  well  adapted  to  all  of  the  above-named  crops.  The  height  usually  attained  by  the  cotton- 
plant  is  about  3  feet,  and  it  is  most  productive  at  that  height;  but  it  is  inclined  to  run  to  weed  on  low,  wetlands  and  in  wet  seasons,  and  efforts 
have  been  made  to  restrain  it  and  to  favor  boiling  through  underdraining  and  high  fertilization.  Fresh  land  produces  about  GOO  pounds  of 
seed-cotton  per  acre,  and  about  1,425  pounds  are  needed  for  a  475-pound  bale,  which,  when  clean,  rates  in  the  market  as  low  middling.  After 
ten  years'  cultivation  the  yield  is  from  400  to  500  pounds  per  acre,  and  about  1,660  pounds  are  needed  to  make  a  bale,  which  rates  nearly  as 
good  as  that  from  fresh  land.  Dog-fennel,  hog-weed,  crab-  and  wire-grass,  and  in  some  places  nut-grass,  are  very  troublesome.  About 
one-half  of  the  soil  now  lies  turned  out,  and  will  do  very  well  when  again  cultivated.  Iu  some  places  it  gullies  readily  on  slopes,  serious 
damage  being  done,  and  the  valleys  are  injured  to  a  considerable  extent  by  washings  of  the  uplands.  Efforts  have  been  made,  with  very 
good  success,  to  check  the  damage  by  hillside  ditching  and  underdraiuing. 

The  sandy  soil  is  timbered  with  long-leaf  pine,  oak,  beech,  and  black-jack.  It  is  a  whitish-gray  fine  silt,  with  an  average  thicknessof 
6  inches  before  its  color  changes  into  that  of  the  subsoil,  which  is  lighter  than  the  surface  soil,  being  a  yellow  mixture  of  sand  and  clay, 
not  impervious,  but  absorbs  freely,  and  contains  black  and  white  gravel,  underlaid  by  sand.  As  to  tilling  qualities,  it  is  heavy  in  wet 
and  light  in  dry  seasons,  and  is  early,  warm,  and  generally  well  draiued.  This  soil  is  best  adapted  to  corn,  sweet  and  Irish  potatoes, 
pease,  and  peanuts.  Cotton  is  most  productive  at  the  height  of  3  feet,  and  is  apt  to  run  to  weed  in  vesy  wet  weather,  for  which  high 
manuring,  good  culture,  and  early  planting  are  used  as  a  remedy.  Fresh  laud  produces  about  700  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  and 
about  1,540  pounds  will  make  a  475-pound  bale,  and  when  clean  the  staple  rates  in  the  market  as  strict  low  middling.  After  ten  years' 
cultivation  the  yield  is  300  pounds  per  acre,  and  about  1,540  pounds  are  then  needed  to  make  a  bale,  but  its  staple  rates  as  good  as  that 
from  fresh  land.  Crab-  and  nut-grass  are  the  most  troublesome  weeds.  A  considerable  portion  of  the  laud  originally  cultivated  now  lies 
turned  out;  rest  improves  it  very  much  for  a  short  time,  say  three  years.  No  damage  is  done  by  washing  on  the  slopes,  but  the  valleys 
are  perceptibly  improved  by  the  washings  of  the  uplands. 

Stiff  land  and  clay  soils  constitute  about  one-third  of  the  lands  of  the  county,  extending  about  6  miles  north  aud  south,  and  are 
timbered  with  heavy  oak,  large  yellow  pine,  ash,  poplar,  beech,  and  holly.  It  is  a  whitish  gray  and  black  (varying  in  different  sections) 
heavy  clay  loam  to  the  depth  of  from  4  to  6  inches,  when  it  changes  into  the  subsoil,  which  is  heavier  than  the  surface  soil  described  as 
a  white  clay;  it  is  very  sticky  when  wet  and  hard  and  brittle  when  dry,  and  is  underlaid  by  gravel  and  rock  in  some  places  at  6  feet. 
The  soil  is  difficult  to  till  in  wet  and  hard  in  dry  seasons,  and  is  best  adapted  to  wheat,  oats,  and  other  small  grain.  A  very  small 
proportion  of  cotton  is  planted  on  these  soils,  and  the  plant  is  most  productive  at  the  height  of  3  feet.  Thorough  draining,  good  culture, 
and  high  fertilization  are  used  to  restrain  it  from  running  to  weed  aud  to  favor  boiling.  Fresh  land  produces  from  600  tu  700  pounds  of 
seed-cotton  per  acre,  about  1,425  ]>ounds  being  needed  to  make  a  475-pound  bale.  After  ten  years'  cultivation  it  produces  very  little, 
and  it  does  not  pay  to  cultivate  it  when  worn  down.  Cotton  on  lowlands  is  more  liable  to  disease,  such  as  blight,  sore-shin,  rust,  runs 
too  much  to  weed,  grows  too  late,  and  is  liable  to  be  killed  by  frost.  Hence  we  prefer  upland  for  cotton  where  the  soil  is  good  and  red 
clay  lies  near  the  surface.  Such  land  is  more  susceptible  of  improvement,  is  more  easily  cultivated,  can  be  planted  ten  or  fifteen  days 
sooner,  yields  a  better  quality  of  lint,  and  yields  better  every  way. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  to  Norfolk,  by  rail  and  by  steamboat.     Rate  of  freight  per  bale,  $1. 

571 


40  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

HERTFORD. 

Population:  11,843.— White,  5,122 ;  colored,  6,721. 

Area:  370  square  miles. — Woodland,  119,330  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  53,025  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  14,005  acres;  in  corn,  25,521  acres;  in  wheat,  817  acres; 
in  oats,  1,800  acres. 

Cotton  production :  0,300  hales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.44  hale,  021  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  207  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Hertford  county  lies  on  the  northern  border  of  the  state,  and  is  bounded  eastward  by  the  Chowan  river.  The 
soils  are  for  the  most  part  of  the  general  region  of  upland  piny  woods  lands,  but  near  the  water-courses  there  are 
considerable  tracts  of  oak  and  pine  flats  and  alluvial  land.  Along  the  margin  of  the  Chowan  and  some  of  the  other 
water-courses  are  fringes  of  gum  and  cypress  swamp.  Marl  in  abundance  underlies  the  surface.  Besides  the 
culture  of  cotton  and  corn,  there  are  the  fish,  lumber,  and  naval-stores  industries.  Of  the  county  area,  22.28  per 
cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  27.24  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton.  Cotton,  lumber,  and  other  products  are  shipped 
by  steamer  and  rail  to  Norfolk. 

ABSTRACT   OF   THE   REPORT   OF   JUDGE   DAVID   A.   BARNES,  OF   SIURFREESBORO'. 

The  soils  of  most  importance  are  the  sandy  uplands, -which  have  clay  subsoils  and  a  timber  growth  of  oalc,  dogwood,  and  pine;  thickness 
from  3  to  4  inches.  The  chief  crops  are  corn,  cotton,  pease,  and  sweet  potatoes.  The  proportion  of  cotton  planted  is  one-third,  which  runs 
to  weed  in  wet  seasons,  the  remedy  for  which  is  a  free  use  of  fertilizers,  especially  dissolved  bone.  Fresh  land  produces  8C0  or  £00  pounds 
of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  from  1,425  to  1,540  pounds  making  a  bale.  Crab-grass  is  the  most  troublesome  pest  in  cotton  cultivation.  About 
one-third  of  this  land  once  cultivated  lies  turned  out.     It  washes  on  slopes,  doing  some  damage,  while  the  valleys  are  improved. 

BERTIE. 

Population:  10,399.— White,  0,815;  colored,  9,584. 

Area:  689  6quare  miles. — Woodland,  184,070  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  82,377  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  19,455  acres;  in  corn,  37,735  acres;  in  wheat,  309  acres; 
in  oats,  2,403  acres. 

Cotton  prod  action :  7,290  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.37  bale,  534  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  178  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Bertie  county  lies  south  of  Hertford,  in  the  angle  between  the  Roanoke  and  Chowan  rivers,  and  consists  for  the 
most  part  of  level  piny  uplands,  having  a  sandy  loam  soil;  but  the  northern  part  of  it  is  largely  pine  flats,  having 
an  infertile  ash-colored,  line  sandy  soil.  The  southern  part,  near  the  Roanoke  river,  and  along  its  chief  tributary, 
the  Cashie,  are  wide  tracts  of  level  oak  and  pine  lands,  which  are  very  productive.  The  Roanoke  river  through 
almost  the  whole  length  of  this  county  is  bordered  by  a  tract  of  alluvial  lands  from  3  to  6  miles  wide,  subject  to 
annual  overflows,  and  covered  with  heavy  forests  of  cypress,  maple,  ash,  etc.,  which  are  among  the  most  fertile 
of  the  continent.  In  the  middle  region,  on  and  near  the  Cashie  and  its  tributaries,  are  considerable  bodies  of 
valuable  swamp  and  semi-swamp  lands.  Cotton,  corn,  potatoes,  flsh,  and  lumber  make  up  the  list  of  industries  of 
this  county.  Marl  is  found  in  the  southern  and  middle  sections.  Of  the  county  area,  18.08  per  cent,  is  in  tilled 
land,  of  which  23.02  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT   OF   THE  REPORTS   OF  E.   E.  ETHERIDGE,   OF   COLERAIN,   AND   J.   B.    CHERRY,    OF   WINDSOR. 

Cotton  is  generally  planted  on  the  uplands, -which  are  light,  having  clay  bottoms.  These  form  the  larger  portion  of  the  cotton 
lands,  and  extend  all  over  the  county.  The  timber  is  mostly  pine.  The  subsoil  is  heavier,  being  a  red,  yellow,  or  white  clay.  The  chief 
crops  are  corn,  cotton,  oats,  and  Irish  and  sweet  potatoes,  but  the  soil  is  best  adapted  to  corn  and  potatoes.  Cotton  occupies  about  ono- 
third  of  the  tilled  land,  and  grows  to  3-J  feet  in  height.  It  inclines  to  run  to  weed  in  warm,  moist  weather,  which  indicates  a  bad  crop, 
and  topping  is  the  only  remedy  used  to  restrain  it.  Fresh  land  produces  050  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,485  pounds  being  needed 
for  a  475-pound  bale,  which  grades  as  low  middling.  After  years  of  cultivation  the  soil  makes  very  poor  cotton.  Crab-grass  is  the 
most  troublesome  weed.  A  considerable  amount  of  land  once  cultivated  now  lies  turned  out.  It  washes  and  gullies  very  readily  on 
the  slopes,  and  the  valleys  are  injured  to  a  considerable  extent  by  the  washings  of  the  uplands. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  in  October  and  November,  by  steamboat,  to  Norfolk  and  Baltimore.  Rates  of  freight  are  §1  to  SI  25  per 
hale. 

NORTHAMPTON. 

Population:  20,032.— White,  7,987;  colored,  12,045. 

Area:  557  square  miles. — Woodland,  144,779  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  96,505  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  30,219  acres;  in  tobacco,  30  acres;  in  corn,  45,224 acres ; 
in  wheat,  1,725  acres;  in  oats,  4,805  acres. 

Cotton  production:  13,010  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.38  bale,  537  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  179 
pounds  cotton  lint. 

Northampton  county  is  situated  between  the  Virginia  border  and  the  Roanoke  river.  Its  soils  belong  to  the 
general  region  of  level  piny  uplands,  merging  toward  the  western  limit  into  oak  uplands  and  a  more  hilly  surface, 
with  an  elevation  of  150  feet  above  sea-level.  Its  numerous  streams  have  general  fringes  of  oak  flats,  alluvions,  or 
gum  and  cypress  swamps,  and  the  Roanoke  river  has  in  its  extensive  "bottoms"  some  of  the  best  corn  lands  in 
the  state.  Of  the  county  area,  27.09  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  37.51  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton.  For 
further  details,  reference  may  be  had  to  the  report  of  J.  B.  Macrae. 


AGRICULTURAL  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  COUNTIES.  41 

ABSTRACT  OF  THE  REPORT  OP  J.  B.  MACRAE,  OF  JACKSON. 

The  low  grounds  alluvial  soils  of  the  Roanoke  river,  are  cultivated  only  in  corn.  The  next  body  of  land  is  4  feet  above  the  highest 
water  mark  of  freshets,  and  about  25  feet  above  the  low  grouuds.     Then  comes  the  section  of  the  county  known  as  "  piny  woods  ". 

The  best  land  in  this  section  for  cotton  is  a  peculiar  gray  soil  having  a  hard  red-clay  subsoil,  and  commonly  designated  "piny  woods", 
which  occupies  two-thirds  of  the  county  and  is  timbered  with  short-leaf  pine  and  red  or  black  oak.  The  color  before  it  changes  into  that 
of  the  subsoil  is  whitish  gray  to  the  depth  of  6  inches.  The  chief  crops  are  cotton  and  corn,  and  the  soil  is  well  adapted  to  both.  Three- 
fourths  of  the  tilled  land  is  planted  in  cotton.  The  plant  is  most  productive  when  2+  feet  high,  and  inclines  to  run  to  weed  when  there 
is  an  unusual  quantity  of  rain.  Fresh  land  produces  1,200  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  and  1,485  pounds  are  needed  for  a  475-pound 
bale  of  lint,  which  rates  as  middling  when  clean.  After  three  years'  cultivation  the  product  is  500  pounds  per  acre,  and  the  staple  is  much 
shorter  than  that  from  fresh  land.  Crab-grass  gives  most  trouble  in  cultivation,  especially  iu  damp,  warm  weather.  One-fourth  of  the 
land  once  cultivated  now  lies  turned  out.  Cotton  shipments  are  made  from  the  1st  of  October  by  rail  to  Norfolk ;  the  rate  of  freight  is 
§2  25  per  bale. 

HALIFAX." 

Population :  30,300.— White,  9,137  ;  colored,  21,163. 

Area:  682  square  miles. — Woodland,  178,508  acres. 

Tilled  lands :  130,210  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  43,206  acres ;  in  corn,  41,790  acres ;  in  wheat,  1,300  acres  ; 
in  oats,  4,497  acres. 

Cotton  production:  16,661  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.39  bale,  549  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  183 
pounds  cotton  lint. 

Halifax  county  lies  between  the  Eoanoke  river  on  the  north  and  Fishing  creek,  one  of  the  confluents  of  the  Tar 
river,  on  the  south.  The  eastern  and  larger  part  of  this  county  belongs  to  the  normal  type  of  upland  piny  woods, 
the  western  third  to  the  oak  uplands.  Long-leaf  and  short-leaf  pines  are  commonly  mingled  with  a  subordinate 
growth  of  oaks,  hickory,  dogwood,  etc.  The  surface  is  generally  level  or  a  little  rolling,  with  small,  often  abrupt, 
hills  and  ravines  near  the  streams.  The  soil  is  a  gray,  sandy  loam,  with  a  yellow  to  brown  subsoil.  The  creeks 
and  larger  streams  nearly  all  flow  southward  into  the  Tar  river,  the  water-shed,  according  to  a  curious  topographical 
law  previously  referred  to,  lying  quite  close  to  the  south  bank  of  the  Eoanoke.  The  western  section  belongs  in 
large  part  to  the  oak  uplands  region,  having  its  characteristic  gray,  yellow,  and  reddish  clay  loam  and  sandy  loam 
soils  and  rolling  surface  and  predominant  oak  forests,  with  an  intermixture  of  short-leaf  pine.  The  crops  of  this 
section  are  largely  grains  (corn,  wheat,  etc.)  and  tobacco.  The  bulk  of  the  cotton  product  is  made  in  the  eastern 
section. 

The  streams  in  the  eastern  section  have  often  narrow,  swampy  tracts  of  gum  and  cypress  along  their  margins, 
but  there  are  extensive  alluvial  areas  or  bottoms  on  the  larger  rivers,  especially  the  Eoanoke,  whose  bottoms  are  of 
unsurpassed  fertility.  In  the  great  bend  of  Scotland  Neck  are  some  of  the  finest  cotton  lands  of  the  state.  Marl  is 
abundant  in  the  middle  and  eastern  sections.  Halifax  is  one  of  the  most  prosperous  cotton  counties,  and  produces 
very  large  crops  of  grains  besides,  chiefly  of  corn,  of  ,/hich  the  product  is  nearly  half  a  million  bushels.  Of  the 
county  area,  32.12  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  33. IS  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT   OF   THE   REPORT   OF   R.   H. 

(Messrs.  J.  H.  Parker,  of  Enfield,  and  J.  N.  Smith,  of  Scotland  Xeck,  also  furnished  reports.) 

The  upland  soils  vary  greatly  from  a  light  sandy  soil  to  a  stiff  clay,  and  are  found  in  patches  of  from  20  to  200  acres.  The  climate  for 
cotton  being  a  short  one,  the  plants  on  the  bottom  lauds  grow  too  much  to  weed  and  too  late,  subjecting  the  cro2>  to  damage  from  early  frost. 
The  uplands,  with  suitable  soils  and  proper  fertilizers,  are  esteemed  the  best  for  cotton;  but  old  lauds  are  generally  preferable  to  new 
when  well  manured. 

The  chief  soil  is  a.  fine  clay  loam  from  8  to  12  inches  deep,  the  color  of 'which  is  brown,  and  the  subsoil  is  a  red  and  yellow  clay.  This 
class  of  land  constitutes  one-iifth  of  the  arable  uplands,  and  has  a  growth  of  red  oak,  holly,  hickory,  poplar,  etc.  The  crops  are  corn, 
cotton,  oats,  wheat,  and  pease,  but  the  soil  is  best  adapted  to  cotton  and  wheat,.  Cotton  is  planted  on  two-fifths  of  the  uplands,  and  is 
most  productive  when  3J  feet  in  height.  It  inclines  to  run  to  weed  in  a  wet  August  and  September,  and  topping  favors  boiling.  Fresh 
land  produces  from  800  to  1,000  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,485  pounds  making  a  475-pound  bale  of  lint,  rating  as  low  middling. 
After  ten  years'  cultivation  the  product  is  400  pounds  per  acre,  the  staple,  when  clean,  rating  about  the  same  as  that  from  fresh  laud, 
sometimes  better.     Crab-grass  and  hog-weed  are  most  troublesome.      No  serious  damage  is  done  by  gullies  on  the  slopes. 

The  sandy  loam  of  the  creek  uplands  has  a  gray  color  to  the  depth  of  10  inches  aud  a  subsoil  of  red,  white,  and  yellow  clay.  It  is  easy 
to  till,  early,  warm,  and  well  drained,  and  is  best  adapted  to  cotton,  corn,  and  pease,  about  one-fifth  of  the  uplands  being  planted  in  the 
former.  Cotton  is  most  productive  at  the  height  of  3  feet.  The  product  from  fresh  land  ranges  from  800  to  1,000  pounds  of  seed-cotton 
per  acre,  from  1,485  to  1,540  pounds  being  required  to  make  a  475-pound  bale,  which  rates,  when  clean,  as  low  middling.  After  ten  years 
cultivation  the  yield  is  400  pounds  per  acre,  the  staple  being  quite  as  good  as  that  from  fresh  land. 

A  light  gravelly  loam  occupies  one-fifth  of  the  lands  iu  this  region.  It  is  gray  in  color  to  the  depth  of  8  inches,  when  it  changes 
into  that  of  the  subsoil,  a  yellow  sand  for  2  or  3  feet,  then  red  and  yellow  clay.     Its  natural  timber  growth  is  pine,  oak,  ami  dogwood. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  in  October,  November,  and  December,  by  steamboat  aud  rail,  to  Norfolk  and  Baltimore.  Rates  of  freight 
per  bale  are  SI  50  to  Norfolk  and  .$2  to  Baltimore. 

The  report  of  Mr.  J.  N.  Smith,  of  Scotland  Neck,  agrees  substantially  with  the  preceding. 

The  report  of  Mr.  Parker  adds  several  points  :  That  the  eastern  half  of  the  county  is  level  and  rolling  and  well  adapted  to  cotton, 
but  the  western  half,  being  hilly,  is  not  suitable  for  cottou  culture.  The  chief  toil,  a  gray  upland,  extends  20  miles  north,  00  miles  south, 
80  east,  and  15  west.  Tarboro'  is  the  center  of  a  fine  cotton  section  with  a  radius  of  50  or  00  miles,  the  natural  growth  being  long- and 
short-leaf  pine,  oak,  hickory,  dogwood,  sweet  gum,  etc.  The  soil  is  a  fine  sandy  loam  12  inches  deep.  Iu  the  eastern  section  two-thirds 
of  the  tilled  land  is  in  cotton;  in  the  western,  from  one-third  to  one-half. 

573 


42  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

XASH. 

Population:  17,731. — White,  9,417  ;  colored,  8,314. 

Area:  595  square  miles. — Woodland,  193,247  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  82,238  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  25,708  acres;  in  tobacco,  27  acres;  in  corn,  32,490  acres; 
in  wheat,  3,787  acres;  in  oats,  3,875  acres. 

Cotton  production:  12,507  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.49  bale,  090  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  232 
pounds  cotton  lint. 

The  general  topographical  and  agricultural  features  of  Nash  county  correspond  quite  closely  to  those  of  Halifax, 
to  which  its  situation  is  similar.  It  lies  south  of  that  county,  and  also  on  the  borders  of  the  oak  uplands,  to  which 
the  western  part  of  it  belongs.  It  is  drained  for  the  most  part  by  the  Tar  river  and  its  numerous  tributaries,  along 
which  are  narrow  strips  of  alluvial  soil  with  oak  forests  and  occasional  cypress  swamps.  The  divides  between 
these  streams  through  the  middle  and  eastern  portions  of  the  county  belong  to  the  region  of  level  upland  piny 
woods,  the  growth  being  a  mixture  of  long-leaf  and  short-leaf  pine,  with  oak,  hickory,  dogwood,  etc.  These  sods 
are  well  adapted  to  the  culture  of  cotton,  and  are  of  average  fertility.  The  soils  inmany  places  in  the  western 
section  are  red  or  yellowish  clay  loams.  This  county  lies  largely  within  the  area  of  the  most  productive  cotton  section 
of  the  state;  the  corn  and  potato  crops  are  also  important.  Marl  is  abundant  in  the  eastern  part,  but  has  not  been 
extensively  used.     Of  the  county  area  21.00  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  31.33  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT   OP   THE   REPORT    OF   J.   M.   MAYO,   OP   WHITAKER. 

The  uplands  are  preferable  for  cotton,  as  it  grows  too  late  on  the  lowlands  and  is  liable  to  be  killed  by  early  frosts.  The  chief  soil 
is  liijht  graij,  having  a  clay  subsoil,  three-fourths  of  the  uplands  being  of  this  description,  and  is  timbered  with  oak,  pine,  poplar,  sweet 
gum,  and  dogwood.  The  chief  crops  are  cotton,  corn,  wheat,  rye,  and  sweet  and  Irish  potatoes,  and  it  seems  well  adapted -to  all ;  but  the 
proportion  of  cotton  planted  is  at  least  half  of  the  cultivated  lands.  The  plant  inclines  to  run  to  weed  in  wet  weather,  the  only  remedy 
for  which  is  to  plant  as  early  as  practicable  and  cultivate  rapidly.  The  product  from  fresh  lands  ranges  from  1,200  to  1,500  pounds  of  seed- 
cotton  per  acre,  and  1,425  pounds  will  make  a  bale  ;  clean  staple  rates  as  middling.  After  three  years'  cultivation  the  yield  is  about  400 
pounds  per  acre.  Rag-  and  hog-  weed  and  crab-grass  are  most  troublesome.  About  one-third  of  the  land  once  cultivated  now  lies  turned 
out,  and  rest  improves  it.  The  soil  on  the  slopes  iu  the  light  lands  is  subject  to  wash  or  gully,  and  efforts  are  made  to  remedy  this  by 
horizontalizing  and  hillside  ditching  with  good  success,  but  it  requires  constant  attention. 

The  stiff  bottom  lands  are  found  only  on  the  creeks,  rivers,  branches,  and  swamps,  and  cover  a  small  portion  of  the  county.  They  are 
timbered  with  gum,  oak,  dogwood,  beech,  elm,  and  poplar.  The  soil  is  a  blackish  or  brown  heavy  clay  alluvium;  the  subsoil  a  bluish 
clay,  sometimes  a  white  sand,  or  yellow  sand  and  yellow  clay.     Very  little  cotton  is  planted  on  this  soil. 

The  Tar  river  bottoms  occupy  a  very  small  portion  of  the  lands.  They  are  timbered,  and  are  of  the  same  character  as  the  stiff 
bottom  lands. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  by  rail  to  Norfolk,  Petersburg,  Baltimore,  and  New  York,  and  the  rates  of  freight  per  bale  are  from 
$1  95  to  $3  50. 

EDGECOMBE. 

Population  :  20,181.— White,  7,90S  ;  colored,  18,213. 

Area:  507  square  miles. — Woodland,  125,083  acres. 

Tilled  lands :  132,875  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  51,880  acres ;  in  corn,  40,235  acres ;  in  wheat,  2,422  acres ; 
in  oats,  9,5S9  acres. 

Gottiin  production :  20,250  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.51  bale,  720  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  240 
pounds  cotton  lint. 

Edgecombe  is  a  typical  county  of  the  long  leaf  pine  region.  It  is  traversed  through  its  middle  portion  by  the 
Tar  river,  and  is  drained  by  its  numerous  tributaries.  The  soils  are  characteristically  gray,  sandy  loams,  with  a 
yellow  to  brown  subsoil,  and  belong  to  the  region  of  level  piny  uplands.  Along  the  borders  of  the  various  streams 
are  frequent  and  extensive  tracts  of  alluvial  lands,  and  on  some  of  them  occur  cypress  anil  gum  swamps.  This  is 
one  of  the  leading  cotton  counties  of  the  state,  and  on  the  percentage  cotton  map  it  will  be  seen  to  occupy  the  center 
of  one  of  the  zones  of  greatest  production.  It  stands  second  among  the  counties  of  the  state  in  its  product  of 
cotton,  and  its  corn  crop  is  also  among  the  largest.  The  long-leaf  pines,  which  were  once  found  abundant  over 
the  whole  surface  of  this  county  (and  region),  have  been  thinned  until  they  are  a  subordinate  element,  so  that 
the  remaining  forests  are  mainly  of  short-leaf  pine  and  oak. 

Both  commercial  fertilizers  and  the  native  marls  have  been  more  largely  used  than  elsewhere  in  the  state,  and, 
in  connection  with  compost,  most  effectively,  so  that  Edgecombe  has  long  been  foremost  in  this  special  agriculture  of 
the  east.  Of  the  county  area,  30.02  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  39.27  per  cent,  of  the  latter  being  cultivated  in  cotton. 
It  has  the  advantage  of  both  river  and  railroad  transportation. 

ABSTRACT  OF  THE  REPORTS  OF  MESSRS.  ELIAS  CARR,  OF  OLD  SPARTA,  AND  J.  L.  BRIDGES,  OF  TARBORO'. 

The  chief  soil  cultivated  in  cotton  is  what  is  designated  as  "}>iny  wood  land",  which  occupies  from  three-fourths  to  four-fifths  of  the 
and  in  this  region,  and  extends  40  miles  north,  east,  and  west,  and  south  to  the  South  Carolina  line.  The  natural  timber  is  loug- 
and  short-leaf  pine,  oak,  gum,  hickory,  and  dogwood.  The  color  of  the  soil  is  blackish  when  new,  wearing  white  with  age.  The  average 
thickness  of  the  surface  soil  is  4  inches,  when  it  changes  into  that  of  the  subsoil,  which  is  generally  a  yellow  sand,  with  a  very  s:i  all 
percentage  of  clay.  The  soil  is  easy  to  till  at  all  seasons.  The  chief  crops  are  cotton,  corn,  wheat,  and  oats,  but  the  proportion  of  cotton 
planted  is  about  one-half  of  the  whole  acreage.  The  plant  is  most  productive  when  3  feet  high,  and  only  inclines  to  run  to  weed  on  fresh  and 
ill-drained  land,  but  it  is  improved  by  draining  and  marling.  Fresh  land  produces  from  400  to  1,000  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  from 
1,400  to  1,540  pounds  of  cotton  being  required  to  make  a  475-pound  bale  of  lint,  which  rates  as  low  middling  when  clean.  After  ten  years' 
cultivation  the  yield  is  almost  nothing.  We  manure  from  the  beginning.  Crab-grass  is  the  most  troublesome  weed. 
574 


AGRICULTURAL  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  COUNTIES. 


■io 


The  quantity  of  cotton  grown  on  other  soils  is  insignificant.  Bottom  lands  have  a  growth  of  gum,  cypress,  etc.,  and  they  are  best 
adapted  to  corn  and  oats. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  in  November  and  December,  by  water,  to  Norfolk  and  New  York.  Rates  of  freight  are  $1  40  to  the  former 
and  S2  35  to  the  latter  per  bale.  • 

The  reports  of  Messrs.  J.  J.  Battle,  of  Rocky  Mount,  and  W.  G-.  Lewis,  of  Tarboro',  agree  in  most  points  with 
he  above.  They  add  that  the  spring  is  too  late  and  the  fall  too  early  to  realize  full  crops.  Cotton  runs  to  weed  from 
overmanuriug  and  excessive  moisture  in  August,  especially  after  a  dry  June  and  July,  and  the  most  troublesome 
weeds  are  hog- weed  and  crab-grass. 

PITT. 

Population :  21,794.— White,  10,704 ;  colored,  11,090. 

Area:  657  square  miles. — Woodland,  217,222  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  103,302  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  31,147  acres;  in  corn,  40,482  acres;  in  wheat,  3,787;  in 
rye,  284  acres ;  in  oats,  3,301  acres. 

Cotton  production :  14,879  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.48  bale,  681  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  227 
pounds  cotton  lint. 

The  description  of  Edgecombe  county  applies,  with  scarcely  a  change,  to  this  county  also.  The  only  mentionable 
difference  is  that  it  contaius  perhaps  a  larger  proportion  of  swampy  lands,  both  along  the  Tar  river  and  its  main 
tributaries  and  the  two  Cotentneys.  The  body  of  its  area  is  the  normal  level,  upland,  piny  woods,  with  their  usual 
soils  and  forests.  It  is  also  one  of  the  best  cotton  counties,  and  its  grain  crop  is  larger  in  proportion  than  that  of 
most  of  the  cotton  counties,  exceeding  500,000  bushels.  Its  product  of  rice  and  potatoes  is  also  of  considerable 
importance.  Marl  is  abundant,  and  is  used  with  the  best  results,  as  in  Edgecombe.  Of  the  county  area,  24.57  per 
cent,  is  tilled  land,  and  30.15  per  cent,  of  the  latter  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT   OP   THE   REPORTS   OF   W.  M.  B.  BROWN,  OF   GREENVILLE,  AND   JAMES   JOTNER,   OP   MARLBORO'. 

The  uplands  are  known  as  "piny  wood  lands" — the  very  best  lands  for  improvement — intersected  by  small  streams  just  sufficient 
for  drainage.  On  the  lowlands  cotton  is  prone  to  grow  too  late  and  be  caught  by  frost ;  hence  uplands  are  preferred  for  cotton,  and  as 
we  are  in  the  marl  belt,  a  great  abundance  of  which  is  found  convenient  to  almost  every  farm,  the  use  of  this  as  a  fertilizer  we  find  to 
be  especially  valuable  for  all  crops  when  used  on  the  piny  woods. 

The  chief  soil  cultivated  in  cotton  is  the  piny  woods,  which  occupies  from  three-fourths  to  four-fifths  of  the  lands  in  the  region  and 
embraces  the  whole  of  Greenville  township,  except  the  bottoms  of  the  river  and  the  swamps.  Its  natural  timber  is  pines,  with  oak, 
hickory,  gum,  and  maple.  The  surface  soil,  from  6  to  8  inches  deep,  is  of  a  gray  yellow  color,  blackish  in  swamp  and  river  bottoms.  The 
piny  woods  are  almost  always  underlaid  with  red  or  yellowish  clay,  with  marl  in  the  branches  or  small  streams.  This  soil  is  best  adapted 
to  cotton,  corn,  and  small  grain,  the  bottoms  being  best  adapted  to  corn,  the  sandy  belt  to  small  grain.  Cotton  occupies  one-half  of  all 
cultivated  land,  and  generally  attains  a  height  of  3  feet,  but  it  is  inclined  to  run  to  weed  in  wet  seasons.  Fresh  land  produces  from  1,000 
to  1,200  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,l,425  pounds  being  required  to  make  a  475-pound  bale  of  lint, which  rates  as  low  middling  v>.<en 
clean.  After  five  years'  cultivation  the  product  is  400  pouuds  per  acre,  but  the  staple  rates  the  same.  Crab-grass  gives  most  trouble. 
Not  much  land  once  in  cultivation  now  lies  turned  out. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  by  steamboat  to  Norfolk  and  New  York.     The  rate  of  freight  is  jjil  35  to  Norfolk,  and  $3  50  to  New  York. 

GEEENE. 

Population:  10,037.— White,  4,652;   colored,  5,385. 

Area:  257  square  miles. — Woodland,  82,432  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  75,084  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  16,9S8  acres;  in  corn,  25,148  acres;  in  wheat,  3,638  acres; 
in  rye,  394  acres ;  in  oats,  1,738  acres. 

Cotton  production :  8,020  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.47  bale,  672  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  224  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

The  small  county  of  Greene,  adjoining  Pitt  on  the  south,  and  drained  by  the  Cotentney  (which  crosses  it  through 
the  middle)  and  its  numerous  tributaries,  has  the  same  general  features,  both  as  to  its  natural  characteristics 
and  as  to  the  development  of  its  agriculture,  as  Edgecombe  county,  but  there  are  considerable  areas  of  sandy  pine 
lands  and  pine  flats  in  the  eastern  angle  and  in  the  southern  section.  Its  streams  are  also  for  the  most  part 
bordered  by  narrow  fringes  of  alluvial  land  and  of  gum  and  cypress  swamps.  It  has  also  along  the  courses  of 
some  of  its  tributaries  considerable  tracts  of  semi-swamp  land,  characterized  by  a  dark  gray  loam  of  great  fertility, 
notably  Lousin  swamp,  near  the  southern  border.  Like  the  preceding  counties,  Greene  finds  marl  and  compost 
essential  to  successful  cotton  farming.  There  are  still  considerable  areas  of  pine  and  cypress  timber  in  the 
county.     Of  the  county  area,  45.05  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  22.03  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT   OF   THE   REPORTS   OF   W.   P.    GRIMSLEY   AND   W.   E.    BEST,   OF   SNOW  HILL. 

About  one-third  of  the  land  in  this  region  is  what  is  termed  very  sandy,  one-fourth  of  which  is  planted  in  cotton.  Its  natural  timber 
is  pine,  oak,  and  hickory.  The  soil  is  whitish-gray  in  color  to  the  depth  of  5  inches,  when  it  changes  into  that  of  the  subsoil,  which  is  heavier 
than  the  surface  soil,  and  is  of  a  yellowish  color.  The  chief  crops  are  corn,  cotton,  wheat,  rye,  oats,  and  sweet  and  Irish  potatoes.  Cotton 
usually  attains  a  height  of  from  20  to  30  inches,  is  generally  most  productive  when  24  inches  high,  and  is  not  inclined  to  run  to  weed  on 
this  soil,  fresh  land  produces  from  600  to  800  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,425  pounds  making  a  475-pound  bale.  After  two  years' 
cultivation  the  product  is  600  pounds  per  acre,  1,485  pounds  being  required  to  make  a  bale.  Carrot  and  crab-grass  are  most  troublesome. 
About  one-tenth  of  such  laud  once  cultivated  now  lies  turned  out. 

575 


44  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

The  sandy  loam,  with  a  clay  subsoil,  occupies  nearly  two-thirds  of  the  land,  one-half  of  which  is  planted  in  cotton,  its  natural  timber 
being  pine,  oak,  and  hickory.  The  average  thickness  of  the  surface  soil  is  5  inches,  which  is  easy  to  till,  and  is  best  adapted  to  cotton, 
corn,  wheat,  and  oats.  Cotton  grows  from  3  to  4  feet  in  height,  but  is  most  productive  when  4  feet  high.  The  product  from  fresh  land 
ranges  from  1,000  to  1,200  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  and  after  two  years'  cultivation  from  £00  to  900  pounds,  but  there  is  no 
difference  in  the  staple.     About  one-tenth  of  the  land  once  cultivated  now  lies  turned  out,  but  when  again  taken  in  it  does  well. 

The  swamps  or  lowlands  occupy  one-twontieth  of  the  lands  in  this  region,  and  are  timbered  with  gum,  poplar,  ash,  ruaple,  and  bay. 
This  soil  is  best  adapted  to  corn,  very  little  cotton  being  planted. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  by  flat-boats  to  New  Berne  at  §1  per  bale. 

MABTIK 

Population:  13,140.— White,  6,661 ;  colored,  6,479. 

Area:  482  square  miles. — Woodland,  175,110  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  50,377  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton.  13,444  acres;  in  corn,  24,209  acres;  in  wheat,  940  acres; 
in  oats,  1,447  acres. 

Cotton  production :  6,3S3  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.47  bale,  078  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  220  pounds 
cotton  liut. 

Martin  county  is  bordered  ou  the  north  by  the  very  tortuous  course  of  the  Roanoke  river,  the  tributary  waters 
of  which  for  the  most  part  drain  it  northward  into  that  river.  The  larger  part  of  its  territory  belongs  to  the 
region  of  level  piny  uplands,  having  a  gray  sandy  loam  soil.  The  higher  ridge  laud,  near  the  south  bank  of  the 
Roanoke  river,  has  a  soil  lighter  and  more  sandy,  and  is  characterized  by  a  considerable  admixture  of  long-leaf 
pine,  and  the  average  proportion  of  oaks  and  short-leaf  pine,  etc.  Along  the  Roanoke  and  some  of  its  tributaries 
there  are  extensive  bottoms  or  alluvial  lauds,  and  about  the  head  streams  of  its  tributaries  considerable  tracts  of 
swamp  land. 

The  agriculture  of  the  county  corresponds  in  its  main  features  to  that  of  Edgecombe  and  the  adjacent  counties, 
but  its  soils  are  less  productive,  and  its  agriculture  is  less  advanced,  partly  because  of  its  large  and  profitable  lumber 
industry  in  the  great  cypress  swamps  of  the  Roanoke.  Marl  is  abundant,  and  is  used  to  a  moderate  extent.  Of 
the  county  area,  18.28  per  ceut.  is  tilled  land,  of  which  23.07  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT   OF   THE   REPORTS   OF   J.   R.   LANIER   AND   WILLIAM   SLADE,   OF   WILLIAMSTON. 

Our  uplands  are  much  better  suited  to  cotton  culture  than  the  bottoms  or  lowlands,  as  we  have  barely  season  enough  to  grow 
cotton  to  perfection.     We  cannot  get  an  early  start  on  the  bottom  lands  in  the  spring. 

The  common  designation  of  the  chief  soil  is  piny  wood  levels,  three-fourths  or  more  of  the  county  being  of  this  kind,  extending  all 
through  this  and  many  of  the  adjoining  counties.  Its  timber  is  mostly  long-leaf  or  pitch  pine,  short-leaf  pine,  oak,  and  dogwood.  The 
.average  thickness  of  the  surface  soil  is  from  6  to  20  inches,  when  it  changes  into  the  subsoil,  which  is  mostly  of  a  pale  red  or  yellowish  color. 
The  chief  crops  are  cotton,  corn,  wheat,  oats,  and  sweet  potatoes,  and  tlie  Boil,  when  well  fertilized,  is  well  adapted  to  all.  The  proportion 
•of  cotton  planted  is  about  one-fourth  or  three-sevenths  of  this  soil.  It  attains  a  height  of  from  2+  to  3  feet,  at  which  it  is  most  productive. 
It  inclines  to  run  to  weed  when  planted  late  on  cold,  rich  bottom  laud,  and  in  wot  seasons,  the  best  remedy  for  which  is  kainit.  Fresh 
land  produces  in  a  good  season  from  1,000  to  1,500  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,425  pounds  making  a  bale  of  lint.  After  two  years' 
•cultivation  the  product  ranges  from  600  to  800  pounds  per  acre,  the  same  number  of  pounds  being  required  for  a  bale.  Carrot-  and  hog- 
weeda  are  most  troublesome.     Considerable  damage  is  doue  in  places  by  wash  or  gullies  on  the  slopes. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  by  steamboat  to  Norfolk,  Baltimore,  and  New  York,  at  the  rates  of  $1  to,-Norfolk,  §1  50  to  Baltimore,  and 
$2  to  New  York. 

WILSON. 

Population:  16,004.— White,  8,055 ;  colored,  7,409. 

Area:  370  square  miles. — Woodland,  114,530  acres. 

Tilled  lands :  65,255  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  23,700  acres ;  in  corn,  27,288  acres ;  in  wheat,  2,804  acres ; 
in  oats,  1,590  acres. 

Cotton  production:  13,049  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.55  bale,  783  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  201 
pounds  cotton  liut. 

Wilson  county  lies  ou  the  western  border  of  the  long-leaf  pine  belt,  and  its  soils  belong  almost  exclusively  to 
the  region  of  level  upland  piny  woods,  and  correspond  to  those  of  Edgecombe.  This  county  is  traversed  by 
numerous  streams,  the  most  notable  of  which  is  the  Cotentney,  along  which,  as  well  as  its  tributaries,  are  found 
considerable  tracts  of  alluvial  land  and  swamps  (gum  and  cypress).  In  all  respects  the  agriculture  of  this  county 
repeats  that  of  Edgecombe  both  as  to  practice  and  as  to  results.  It  will  be  seen,  by  reference  to  the  cotton  percentage 
map  that  this  territory  also  belongs  to  the  region  of  highest  production.  Marl  is  found  in  the  easter  half  of  the 
county.    Of  the  county  area,  27.12  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  30.33  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

JOHNSTON. 

Population :    23,461.— White,  15,990  ;  colored,  7,405. 

Area  :  689  square  miles. — Woodland,  29,906  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  104,407  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  32,193  acres;  in  tobacco,  36  acres;  in  corn,  45,045  acres; 
in  wheat,  3,711  acres;  in  rye,  324  acres  ;  in  oats,  3,170  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  15,151  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.47  bale,  072  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  224 
pounds  cotton  lint. 

676 


AGRICULTURAL  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  COUNTIES.  45 

Johnston  county  lies  on-  the  upper  waters  of  the  Neuse  river  and  its  larger  tributaries,  which  traverse  it  in  a 
southeast  direction,  and  consists  for  the  most  part  of  level  and  gently  rolling  piny  uplands,  with  a  few  small  bodies 
of  more  sandy  and  barren  pine  lands.  It  lies  on  the  western  margin  of  the  long-leaf  pine  region,  its  southeastern 
half  being  characterized  in  its  general  features  by  the  same  soils  and  growth  as  the  average  of  that  belt,  while  along 
the  northwestern  margin  the  lands  are  more  hilly  and  the  piny  belts  are  alternated  along  the  streams  and  more 
hilly  portions  with  oak  aud  pine  forests  and  gravelly  loam  soils.  There  are  tracts  of  quite  sandy  soil  in  the  eastern 
section,  while  in  the  middle  section  are  large  bodies  of  pine  flats.  Johnston  is  one  of  the  most  prosperous  counties, 
as  besides  its  large  cotton  crops  the  grain  product  reaches  nearly  500,000  bushels,  and  its  crop  of  potatoes  exceeds 
200,000  bushels.     Of  the  county  area,  23.68  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  30.83  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT   OP   THE   REPORT   OF  E.  J.  HOLT,  OF  PRINCETON. 

The  chief  soil  cultivated  in  cotton  is  the  pine  lands,  which  have  a  gray  sandy  soil,  occupy  about  one-half  of  all  the  upland,  and  extend 
40  miles  west,  20  miles  south,  about  50  miles  east,  and  north  to  the  Virginia  line,  about  100  miles.  Its  natural  timber  is  pitch-pine,  oak, 
hickory,  etc.  The  average  thickness  of  the  surface  soil  is  from  4  to  6  inches  before  its  color  changes  into  that  of  the  subsoil,  which  is  a 
yellow  clay,  mixed  with  sand. 

The  chief  crops  are  cotton,  corn,  oats,  potatoes,  pease,  and  wheat,  but  the  soil  is  apparently  best  adapted  to  cotton,  which  crop 
occupies  about  one-third  of  all  the  cultivated  lands.  Cotton  grows  from  2  to  5  feet,  but  is  most  productive  when  4  feet  high.  It  inclines 
to  run  to  weed  in  wet  and  warm  weather.  Fresh  land  produces  from  600  to  1,000  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,425  pounds  being  required 
to  make  a  475-pound  bale  of  lint,  which  rates  in  the  market  as  low  middling  when  clean.  After  ten  years'  cultivation  the  product  rangeB 
from  300  to  500  pounds  per  acre,  the  staple  rating  about  the  same  as  that  from  fresh  land.  Crab-grass  and  Jamestown  weed  are  most 
troublesome. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  as  fast  as  baled  by  rail  to  Goldsboro'  at  60  cents  per  bale. 

WAYNE. 

Population:  24,951.— White,  12,827;  colored,  12,124. 

Area:  601  square  miles. — Woodland,  188,130  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  122,102  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  32,103  acres;  in  tobacco,  198  acres;  in  corn,  44,469  acres; 
in  wheat,  7,041  acres;  in  rye,  819  acres;  in  oats,  1,779  acres. 

Cotton  production :  14,558  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.45  bale,  645  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  215 
pounds  cotton  lint. 

Wayne  county  lies  eastward  of  the  Johnston  county,  south  of  Wilson  county,  and  west  of  Greene,  on  the  waters 
of  the  Xeuse,  which  crosses  its  middle  portion  and  drains  almost  the  whole  of  it  directly  and  by  its  tributaries. 
This  county  resembles  in  all  respects  the  adjoining  counties  already  described.  Along  the  Neuse  river  aud  some  of 
the  other  streams  are  considerable  bodies  of  alluvial  land  and  semi-swamp,  and  not  infrequently  fringes  of  cypress 
and  gum  swamp.  Along  the  south  bank  of  the  Neuse  is  a  narrow  zone  of  pine  barrens,  conforming  in  its  general 
trend  to  the  curves  of  that  river,  and  having  a  breadth  of  from  1  to  3  miles.  Both  this  county  and  Johnston  have 
still  considerable  areas  of  turpentine  and  timber  lands. 

The  cotton  and  grain  products  of  Wayne  county  are  large,  and  those  of  rice  and  potatoes  are  considerable. 
There  is  an  abundance  of  marl,  and  it  has  been  used  very  profitably  in  former  years;  but  latterly,  as  in  the  cotton 
region  generally,  commercial  fertilizers  have  usurped  the  place  of  nearly  all  others.  Of  the  county  area,  31.74  per 
cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  w^ch  26.29  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT   OF   THE   REPORT    OF   J.  ROBINSON,  OF   GOLDSBORO'. 

The  uplands  vary  but  little  from  one  ridge  to  another,  lying  in  tracts  of  from  100  to  2,500  acres  each.  Cotton  on  the  lowlands  is  liable 
"to  be  late,  and  therefore  uplands  are  preferred. 

The  chief  cotton  soil  is  a  fine  gray,  sandy  loam,  underlaid  with  clay,  which  occupies  about  three-eighths  of  the  lands  in  this  region 
and  extends  all  over  the  county.  It  is  timbered  with  oak  and  piDes.  The  leading  crops  are  cotton,  corn,  wheat,  pease,  and  oats,  and 
the  soil  seems  well  adapted  to  all.  About  one-fourth  of  the  soil  is  planted  in  cotton,  which  attains  the  average  height  of  3  feet,  but  is 
most  productive  when  24-  feet  high,  and  is  apt  to  run  to  weed  in  excessive  rainy,  hot  weather.  Thorough  draining  and  deep  plowing  will 
remedy  this.  Fresh  land  produces  about  800  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,425  pounds  making  a  bale  of  lint,  which,  when  clean,  rates 
in  the  market  as  strict  good  ordinary.  After  three  years'  cultivation  the  product  is  600  pounds  per  acre,  1,425  pounds  making  a  bale,  the 
staple  rating  lower  than  that  from  fresh  land.  Crab-grass  and  carrot-weed  are  most  troublesome.  About  one-eighth  of  laud  onco 
cultivated  now  lies  turned  out.     The  other  soils  are  a  fine,  stiff,  brown  soil  and  a  light  sandy  river  soil. 

Cotton  is  shipped  by  rail  to  Xew  York  at  82  50  per  bale. 

LENOIR. 

Population:  15,344. — White,  7,277;  colored,  8,067. 

Area:  457  square  miles. — Woodland,  122,571  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  83,943  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  19,150  acres;  in  corn,  29,838  acres;  in  wheat,  5,007  acres; 
in  rye,  685  acres;  in  oats,  1,060  acres. 

Cotton  production :  8,235  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.43  bale,  612  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  204  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Lenoir  county  lies  on  the  lower  course  of  the  Neuse,  east  of  Wayne.  The  northern  half  consists  of  level  piny 
uplands  of  the  same  character  as  those  of  the  counties  adjoining  it  on  the  north,  having  narrow  tracts  of  swamp 
land  along  its  water-courses,  while  in  its  western  and  northern  parts  there  are  wide  tracts  of  level  semi-swamp 

37   c   p — VOL.    II  577 


46  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

lands,  which  are  characterized  by  a  dark,  fine  gray  loam  of  great  fertility.  The  southern  half  of  the  county,  south 
of  the  Neuse,  is  characterized  generally  by  a  more  sandy  soil,  and  on  the  higher  divides  between  the  streams  by  narrow 
zones  of  pine  barrens.  The  water-courses  in  this  half  of  the  county  are  also  bordered  by  cypress  and  gum  swamps,, 
and  to  some  extent  by  oak  and  pine  flats.  Shell  marl  (blue),  chalk  marl,  and  greensand  are  all  found  in  this 
county,  one  or  the  other  in  almost  every  neighborhood.  Of  the  county  area,  28.72  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  winch 
22.82  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton.  Means  of  transportation  are  furnished  by  steamboat  and  railroad  to  New 
Berne,  Wilmington,  and  Norfolk. 

DUPLIN. 

Population:  18,773.— White,  10,587 ;  colored,  8,186. 

Area :  832  square  miles. — Woodland,  288,505  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  69,314  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  9,654  acres  ;  in  corn,  36,813  acres;  in  wheat,  1,031  acres; 
in  rye,  422  acres  ;  in  oats,  433  acres. 

Cotton  production :  4,499  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.47  bale,  663  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  221  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Duplin  county  lies  southward  of  the  two  preceding  counties,  and  partakes  of  their  general  topographical  aud 
agricultural  features.  It  is  drained  by  the  Northeast  Cape  Fear  river,  which  flows  southward  through  its  middle 
section,  and  both  this  and  the  numerous  tributaries  are  bordered  by  belts  of  alluvial  and  often  swampy  lauds.  Nearits- 
nerthern  and  eastern  borders  are  two  small  pocosons,  aud  within  its  southern  section  lies  one-half  of  the  great  Angola 
Bay  pocoson,  an  almost  impenetrable  jungle  of  the  average  character  of  pocoson  lands,  with  fringes  of  rich  swamp- 
lands on  the  streams  that  issue  from  it.  This  pocoson  is  flanked  on  the  westward  toward  the  Northeast  Cape  Fear 
river  by  a  fringe  of  fertile  white-oak  flats  and  semi-swamp  lands.  Between  the  tributaries  of  the  river,  on  the 
divides,  are  several  tracts  of  sandy  pine  hills,  which  are  very  unproductive.  The  cotton  landsT  which  are  of  limited 
extent,  are  the  level  piny  woods  of  the  usual  description ;  but  corn  is  a  more  valuable  crop,  and  the  product  of 
potatoes  and  rice  are  of  considerable  importance.  The  county  has  still  valuable  resources  in  timber  and  turpentine 
lands.  Marl  (blue  and  white)  is  abundant,  though  but  little  used.  Of  the  county  area,  13.02  per  cent,  is  tilled 
land,  of  which  13.93  per  cent,  is  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT    OF   THE   EEPOET   OF   J.   A.   BRYAN,  OF   KENANSVILLE. 

(J.  B.  Oliver,  of  Mount  Olive,  also  furnished  a  report.) 

The  uplands  of  the  county,  comprising  all  kinds  of  soils,  after  heing  fertilized,  are  planted  in  cotton  to  a  small  extent.  These 
uplands  are  all  sandy,  but  vary  in  color  and  quality.  Drought  in  May  retards  the  cotton  growth  and  renders  it  too  late  to  make  a  full 
crop,  and  excessive  rains,  with  cold  weather  during  the  month  of  May  and  early  in  June,  affect  the  plant.  Exceftive  drought  in  July 
and  August  induces  rust  sometimes  where  the  soil  is  not  manured  heavily,  but  otherwise  the  cotton-plant  will  thrive  under  as  unfavorable 
weather  as  corn  or  the  other  crops  usually  raised  in  this  county. 

The  soil  principally  cultivated  in  cotton  is  the  stiff  upland  or  loamy  soil.  About  one-tbird  of  the  land  in  this  region  is  of  this  kind, 
and  it  occurs  in  all  parts  of  the  county  in  areas  of  from  5  to  1,000  acres  each.  Its  timber  growth  is  long-  and  short-leaf  pine,  black  and 
sweet  gums,  oak,  hickory,  and  black-jack.  The  soil  is  a  fine  sandy  loam,  which  vanes  in  color  from  a  gray  to  bufi',  yellow,  brown,  black,, 
and  chocolate.  The  average  thickness  of  the  surface  soil  is  from  10  to  12  inches,  with  a  subsoil  that  is  heavier  and  is  of  a  yellow  or  red 
clay,  that  bakes  hard  when  exposed  to  the  sun.  These  clays  have  from  50  to  75  per  cent,  of  sand  in  their  composition.  The  soil  is  easy  to 
till.  Corn,  pease,  sweet  potatoes,  wheat,  and  cotton  are  the  chief  crops  of  the  region,  but  the  soil  is  best  adapted  to  corn,  cotton,  and 
sweet  potatoes.  The  most  productive  height  of  the  cotton-plant  is  4  feet,  but  it  runs  to  weed  on  alluvial  « creek  bottoms  where  there  is- 
an  excess  of  moisture  and  organic  matter.  Fresh  lands  produce  300  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  and  1,M5  pounds  will  make  a  bale  of 
lint.  After  four  years'  cultivation  the  product  falls  off,  but  the  staple  rates  about  the  same.  Crab-grass  is  the  most  troublesome  weed. 
Very  little  land  once  cultivated  now  lies  turned  out. 

The  naturally  drained  land,  or  sandy  ujtland,  occupies  one-third  of  this  region,  and  extends  20  miles  through  the  central  portion  of 
the  county,  not  entirely  uninterrupted,  and  is  timbered  with  pine,  black-jack,  red  oak,  chincapin,  hickory,  and  sourwood.  The  average 
thickness  of  the  surface  soil  is  6  inches  before  its  color  changes  into  that  of  the  subsoil,  which  varies  from  a  red  to  yellow  clay,  while 
in  places  a  brown  sand  intervenes  between  the  soil  and  clay.  It  is  easy  to  till,  and  is  early,  warm,  and  well-drained.  The  proportion  of" 
cotton  planted  is  about  one-twentieth  of  the  area  under  cultivation.  Fresh  land  produces  about  200  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,545 
pounds  of  which  make  a  bale  of  lint,  rating  as  middling  when  clean. 

Gallberry  lands  occupy  one-thirtieth  part  of  the  county,  but  are  located  mostly  in  the  southeastern  part,  and  are  timbered  with  pine, 
gum,  maple,  etc. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  by  rail  to  Wilmington  at  SI  25  per  bale  of  450  pounds. 

Mr.  J.  B.  Oliver,  of  Mount  Olive,  divides  the  soils  into  fine  sandy  uplands,  with  red  oak,  ghort-leaf  pine,  hickory,  and  dogwood, 
amounting  to  one-eighth  of  the  land,  and  having  a  soil  6  inches  deep,  one-fourth  of  its  surface  being  planted  in  cotton;  and  pine  uplands, 
with  a  long-leaf  pine  growth,  making  one-fourth  of  the  lands  in  the  section,  one-fourth  of  which  is  in  eotton.  Another  kind  of  land — 
second  pocoson — timbered  with  water  oak,  white  oak,  overcup  oak,  rosemary  pine  (P.  ta>da),  and  sweet  and  blue  gum,  has  a  clay-loam  soil 
4  feet  deep  and  a  subsoil  of  whitish,  sticky  clay.  Very  little  of  this  soil  is  planted  in  cotton,  as  it  is  better  for  corn.  The  troublesome 
weeds  are  hog-weed,  yellow-top,  and  crab-grass.    The  seasons  are  short  between  late  and  early  killing  frosts,  April  20  and  October  20. 

SAMPSON. 

Population  :  22,894.— White,  13,347  ;  colored,  9,547. 

Area:  964  square  miles. — Woodland,  374,576  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  116,892  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  15,346  acres;  in  tobacco,  2S  acres;  in  corn,  53,951  acres; 
in  wheat,  1,249  acres;  in  rye,  409  acres ;  in  oats,  654  acres. 

Cotton  production :  6,291  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.41  bale,  5S5  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  195  pounds- 
cotton  lint. 

578 


AGRICULTURAL  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  COUNTIES.  47 

Sampson  county  lies  in  the  middle  of  the  long-leaf  pine  belt,  and  much  the  larger  part  of  its  territory  represents 
the  average  character  of  the  soils  and  forests  of  that  belt.  It  is  drained  by  South  river,  one  of  the  principal 
tributaries  of  the  Cape  Fear,  whose  streams  divide  its  territory  into  north-  and  south  lying  belts  or  zones — flatfish 
swells,  the  higher  portions  of  which  are  characterized  by  sandy  soils  aud  forests  predominantly  of  long-leaf  pine. 
In  places  near  the  southern  and  western  margins,  and  again  near  the  northern  end,  there  are  tracts  which  are  quite 
sandy  and  approach  the  character  of  pine  barrens.  There  are  also  extensive  pine  flats,  especially  on  the  waters  of 
Six  Runs,  with  here  and  there  considerable  bodies  of  pine  and  oak  flats. 

The  corn  crop  of  the  county  is  much  more  important  than  that  of  cotton,  reaching  nearly  500,000  bushels,  aud 
the  crops  of  potatoes  and  rice  are  both  unusually  large.  There  are  also  large  bodies  of  virgin  pine  timber,  still 
valuable  both  for  turpentine  and  for  lumber.  Marl  is  abundant,  and  is  used  with  the  best  results  in  some  sections, 
chiefly  the  northern.  Of  the  county  area,  18.95  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  13.13  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in 
cotton. 

ABSTRACT   OF   THE   REPORT   OF   A.   A.   M'KAY,   OF   CLINTON. 

Cotton  depends  very  much  upon  a  warm  spring,  so  that  it  can  start  up  sufficiently  to  get  out  of  the  way  of  the  grass.  Since 
commercial  fertilizers  have  come  into  use,  the  cotton  has  been  so  pushed  that  the  frost  in  the  fall  scarcely  ever  catches  it,  or  at  least  few- 
green  bolls  are  affected.  The  kinds  of  soils  cultivated  in  cotton  are  generally  a  soil  that  is  stiff,  caused  by  the  clay  being  near  the 
surface,  and  the  rich  sand}7  loams. 

The  chief  soil  is  a  clayey  and  sandy  loam,  which  occupies  about  two-thirds  of  the  lands  in  this  region,  and  is  timbered  principally 
with  long-leaf  pine;  many  oak  ridges  have  a  growth  of  maple,  poplar,  black  and  sweet  gum,  elm,  hickory,  cypress,  juniper,  ash,  beech, 
holly,  dogwood,  and  cedar.  The  chief  crops  are  cotton,  corn,  pease,  sweet  potatoes,  wheat,  rye,  oats,  tobacco,  etc.,  but  the  soil  is  best  adapted 
to  corn  and  cotton,  and  about  one-fourth  of  every  farm  is  planted  in  cotton.  The  plant  usually  attains  a  height  of  from  3|  to  4  feet,  and 
is  most  productive  at  that  height.  It  does  not  incline  to  run  to  weed,  except  on  alluvial  lands  or  lands  very  highly  manured ;  topping; 
favors  boiling. 

Fresh  land  produces  about  750  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  about  1,425  pounds  making  a  475-pound  bale  of  lint,  which,  when 
clean,  rates  in  the  market  as  low  middling.  After  ten  years'  cultivation  the  yield  per  acre  is  300  pounds.  Cocklebur  is  the  most, 
troublesome  weed.  About  two-fifths  of  land  once  cultivated  now  lies  turned  out,  and  when  again  taken  in  produces  better  than  if 
cultivated  everv  year.  The  valleys  are  improved  by  the  washings  of  the  slopes.  Efforts  have  been  mado  to  check  the  damage  done  to> 
the  slopes,  by  plowing  in  curved  lines  and  by  hillside  ditching,  with  profit  to  the  lands  and  to  the  crops. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  in  November  by  rail  to  Wilmington.  The  rates  of  freight  are  50  cents  per  bale  to  Wilmington  and  §2  50 
to  New  York.     Most  of  the  cotton  in  the  county  is  sold  to  merchants  in  Clinton,  the  county-seat, 

CUMBERLAND. 

Toptdation  :  23,830.— White,  12,594  ;  colored,  11,242. 

Area:  982  square  miles. — Woodland,  294,178  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  54,238  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  9,210  acres;  in  corn,  32,677  acres;  in  wheat,  1,141  acres; 
in  rye,  1,513  acres ;  in  oats,  1,509  acres. 

Cotton  production :  3,905  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.42  bale,  603  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  201  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Through  the  middle  of  Cumberland  county,  from  its  western  margin,  on  the  Moore  county-line,  to  the  Cape 
Fear  river,  which  crosses  the  eastern  side  of  the  county,  lies  a  broad,  irregular  zone  of  pine  barrens  with  a  very 
sandy  and  unproductive  soil  and  an  almost  exclusive  growth  of  long-leaf  pine.  On  both  sides  of  this  zone,  along  the 
northern  and  southern  sections  of  the  county,  with  unimportant  exceptions,  and  in  the  section  eastward  of  the 
Cape  Fear  river,  the  soils  belong  to  the  class  of  gray  sandy  loams  of  the  average  upland  piny  woods.  Near  the 
river,  on  both  sides,  are  large  tracts  of  semi-swamp  and  oak  and  pine  flats,  which  are  very  productive.  Many  of  the 
streams  which  flow  from  the  central  pine  barrens  of  the  county  contain  narrow  fringes  of  gum  and  cypress  swamp, 
and  the  swampy  tracts  along  the  river  often  contain  a  considerable  percentage  of  cypress.  The  turpentine  and 
lumber  interests  are  still  important.  Of  the  county  area,  8.63  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  16.98  per  cent,  is 
cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT   OF   THE   REPORT    OF   O.   EVANS,   OF   IDAHO. 

The  uplands  are  much  better  for  cotton  than  the  lowlands,  but  if  the  fall  is  late  the  lowlands  are  the  best.  The  kinds  of  soil  cultivated 
in  cotton  are  sandy  and  clay  loams.  The  clay  soil  is  the  chief,  and  occupies  two-thirds  of  the  land  in  this  region,  two-thirds  of  which  is 
planted  in  cotton.  It  is  timbered  with  sweet  gum,  pine,  oak,  etc.  The  chief  crops  are  cotton  and  corn,  hut  the  soil  is  apparently  best 
adapted  to  cotton.  The  plant  is  most  productive  when  2  feet  high,  and  runs  to  weed  in  rich,  damp  lands.  Fresh  lands  produce  1,000 
pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  and  1,425  pounds  will  make  a  475-pound  bale  of  lint.  After  five  years'  cultivation  the  product  is  ti00 
pounds  per  acre,  the  staple  comparing  favorably  with  that  from  fresh  land.  Cocklebur  is  the  most  troublesome  weed.  About  one-fifth 
of  the  land  once  cultivated  now  lies  turned  out. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  in  November  and  December,  by  rail  and  steamboat,  to  Wilmington  aud  New  York,  and  the  rates  of 
freight  are  from  75  cents  to  $1  50  per  bale. 

HARNETT. 

Population:  10,862.— White,  7,092;  colored,  3,770. 

Area:  601  square  miles. — Woodland,  175,096  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  42,173  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  9,281  acres;  in  tobacco,  32  acres;  in  corn,  21,244  acres;  in 
wheat,  2,393  acres;  in  rye,  489  acres;  in  oats,  1,202  acres. 

Cotton  production :  3,627  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.39  bale,  558  pounds  seed-cot  ( on,  or  186  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Harnett  county  lies  on  both  sides  of  the  Cape  Fear  river,  on  the  northwestern  margin  of  the  long-leaf  pine  1  ielt. 
Near  the  river,  and  for  several  miles  on  both  sides,  its  surface  is  quite  hilly  in  its  upper  portion,  and  here  the  soil 
is  of  the  intermediate  character  described  on  page  16  as  oak  and  pine  sandy  and  gravelly  hills.     On  the  tops  of  the 

579 


48  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

ridges  and  river  hills  these  soils  are  gray,  sandy  loams;  but  on  the  slopes  they  approach  the  character  of  clay  loams, 
and  are  covered  mainly  with  forests  of  oak  and  short-leaf  pine.  The  body  of  the  county  belongs  strictly  to  the  long- 
leaf  pine  belt,  and  has  the  general  characteristics  of  that  region.  The  western  section,  as  well  as  a  narrow  belt  in  the 
middle  near  the  south  bank  of  the  river  and  some  portions  of  the  south  side,  partakes  in  part  of  the  character  of 
the  pine  barrens.  Fear  the  river,  and  along  its  principal  tributaries  from  the  west,  and  in  the  angles  between  these 
and  the  river,  are  wide  tracts  of  gray,  clayey,  silty  lands  (oak  and  pine  tlats)  and  occasional  narrow  strips  of  gum 
and  cypress  swamp.  Cottou  production  is  the  principal  industry  of  the  county,  but  grain,  lumber,  and  turpentine 
are  also  important  products.  Of  the  county  area,  10.96  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  22.01  percent,  is  cultivated 
in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT   OF   THE   REPORT    OF   II.   C.   Jl'NEILL,  OF  LILLINGTON. 

The  upland  soil  does  not  vary  much,  and  tbe  only  difference  in  the  first  two  described  is  that  there  is  some  sand  in  one  and  none  or 
very  little  in  the  other.     The  cottou  in  the  lowlands  is  late  and  runs  too  much  to  weed,  and  is  liable  to  be  prematurely  killed  by  frost. 

The  gray  upland  soil  is  a  mixture  of  putty-like  land  and  coarse  sand,  and  such  is  nearly  all  the  land  between  the  Cape  Fear  and  Little 
rivers  for  several  miles  before  they  unite.  Its  natural  timber  is  oak,  dogwood,  sweet  gum,  hickory,  and  pine.  The  average  thickness 
of  the  surface  soil  is  18  inches,  and  the  subsoil  is  a  clay  or  yellow  loam,  becoming  by  cultivation  like  surface  soil.  The  chief  crops  are 
cotton,  corn,  wheat,  and  oats,  but  the  soil  is  best  adapted  to  cotton  aud  corn.  The  proportion  of  cottou  planted  is  one-half  of  the  land 
cultivated:  it  attains  the  height  of  from  1  to  4  feet,  and  is  most  productive  when  from  2^- to  3  feet  high.  On  new  laud,  and  in  wet  weather, 
it  inclines  to  run  to  weed.  Fresh  land  produces  from  GOO  to  800  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,480  pounds  making  a  475-pound  bale  of  lint. 
After  ten  years'  cultivation  the  product  is  from  300  to  400  pounds  per  acre.     Hog-weed  is  the  most  troublesome. 

The  gray  upland  dark-loam  soil,  with  very  little  or  no  sand,  occupies  about  one-third  of  the  lands  in  this  region.  It  joins  the  Cape 
Fear  bottoms,  and  extends  about  10  miles.  The  thickness  of  the  surface  soil  is  12  inches,  over  a  subsoil  of  yellow  clay,  one-half  of  which 
is  planted  in  cotton. 

The  yellow-loam  soil,  which  runs  alongside  of  tbe  Cape  Fear  river,  is  to  some  extent  subject  to  overflow.  The  proportion  of  cotton 
planted  is  very  small,  aud  the  natural  timber  is  heavy  oaks  and  gums  of  both  kinds.  The  subsoil  is  a  red  clay,  becoming  very  hard  when 
exposed,  but  like  the  surface  soil  when  under  cultivation.  The  cotton-plant  inclines  to  run  to  weed  under  all  circumstances.  Guano 
favors  boiling,  and  causes  the  cotton  to  open  better.     Iron-weed  is  thick  all  over  this  land. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  by  rail  to  Fayetteville  and  Raleigh.     Rate  of  freight  per  bale,  §1  25. 

MOORE. 

Population:  16,821.— White,  11,485;  colored,  5,336. 

Area:  807  square  miles. — Woodland,  281,934  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  08,780  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  8,882  acres;  in  tobacco,  70  acres;  in  corn,  27,934  acres;  in 
wheat,  11,242  acres;  in  rye,  1,512  acres;  in  oats,  7,924  acres. 

Cotton  production :  3,988  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.45  bale,  639  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  213  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Moore  county  lies  on  the  western  margin  of  the  long-leaf  pine  belt.  Its  middle  and  southern  portion  belongs 
largely  to  the  class  of  lands  called  pine  barrens  or  "sand  hills".  The  northern  part  of  this  triangular  territory 
partakes  more  of  the  character  of  the  oak  uplands  agricultural  division,  being  very  hilly  and  broken,  with  sandy 
and  gravelly  soil  on  the  higher  ridges,  having  a  mixed  oak  and  pine  growth,  and  on  the  slopes  of  the  hills  partaking 
of  the  character  of  clay  loams. 

Near  the  middle  (a  little  north  of  east),  as  well  as  in  the  southwestern  region,  and  in  the  eastern  one,  are 
considerable  bodies  of  level  and  rolling  upland  piny  woods.  These  are  the  best  cotton  soils.  The  tributaries  of  the 
Cape  Fear,  which  rise  along  the  southeastern  section  of  the  county,  are  fringed  with  gum,  cypress,  aud  juniper 
swamps,  and  on  many  of  the  streams,  large  and  small,  are  patches,  and  sometimes  considerable  tracts,  of  alluvial 
"bottom"  lands.  The  agriculture  of  the  county  is  divided  between  cotton  and  grain  crops;  but  the  lumber  and 
turpentine  interests  are  quite  important,  and  there  are  yet  large  turpentine  forests  untouched. 

Of  the  county  area,  13.32  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  12.91  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT   OF   THE   REPORTS   OF   J.  M.  JOY,  OF   JONESBORO',  AND   DR.  J.  C.  CAMPBELL,  OF   CARTHAGE. 

The  bottoms  of  Deep  river  and  its  tributaries  are  our  most  valuable  corn  soils,  and  are  not  cultivated  in  cotton.  The}'  are  estimated 
to  form  one-twentieth  of  the  whole. 

About  four-fifths  of  the  land  in  this  region  embraces  what  is  termed  "sandy  soil'',  and  extends  to  the  Atlantic  coast  on  the  south. 
The  timber  is  pine,  oak,  hickory,  black-jack,  chincapin,  and  dogwood.  The  color  of  the  soil  varies  from  a  whitish-gray  to  a  yellowish- 
brown  aud  blackish  to  the  depth  of  6  inches,  when  it  changes  into  that  of  the  subsoil,  which  in  some  places  is  soft  sand,  in  others  red  or 
yellow  clay.     The  soil  is  early,  warm,  and  well  drained.     The  chief  crops  are  corn,  cotton,  wheat,  oats,  potatoes,  and  pease. 

The  proportion  of  cottou  planted  is  about  oue-tifth,  and  usually  grows  from  1  to  4  feet  iu  height,  3  feet  being  the  most  productive 
height.  It  inclines  to  run  to  weed  when  grown  on  fresh  or  damp  land.  Fresh  land  produces  about  600  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre, 
1,400  pounds  making  a  475-pound  bale  of  lint,  the  staple,  when  clean,  rating  as  middling.  After  ten  years'  cultivation  the  product  is  400 
pounds  per  acre,  and  the  staple  is  shorter  than  that  from  fresh  land.  Crab-grass  is  the  most  troublesome.  About  one-fourth  of  the  land 
once  cultivated  now  lies  turned  out.    No  great  damage  is  done  by  washing  or  gullying  on  the  slopes. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  by  rail  to  Raleigh  at  $1  25,  aud  to  Fayetteville  at  75  cents  per  bale. 

RICHMOND. 

Population:  18,245.— White,  8,141 ;  colored,  10,104. 
Area  :  826  square  miles. — Woodland,  216,096  acres. 

Tilled  lands  :  75,268  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  25,198  acres  ;  in  corn,  29,502  acres;  in  wheat,  3,751  acres; 
in  iye,  942  acres ;  in  oats,  3,571  acres. 

580 


AGRICULTURAL  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  COUNTIES.  49 

Cotton  production  :  12,754  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.51  bale,  720  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  240 
pounds  cotton  lint. 

Eichmond  county  also  lies  on  the  border  of  the  long-leaf  pine  belt,  its  eastern  and  southern  portions,  forming  not 
less  than  three-fourths  of  its  territory,  belonging  to  the  latter,  while  its  western  and  northern  parts,  lying  along  and 
near  the  Great  Pedee  river,  belong  more  properly  in  their  agricultural  features  to  the  zone  of  oak  and  pine  sandy 
hills,  being  quite  hilly,  and  in  some  places  rugged.  The  slopes  of  the  hills  on  the  river  front  and  its  tributaries 
are  quite  steep  and  broken,  and  have  a  clay  loam  soil,  which  is  covered  by  oak  and  short-leaf  pine  forests.  In  the 
northwestern  corner,  on  the  Pedee  and  its  tributaries,  are  wide  tracts  of  level  gray  loam  soils,  originally  covered 
with  heavy  oak  forests.  Through  the  eastern  portion  of  the  county,  in  a  north  and  south  direction,  lies  a  considerable 
tract  of  pine  barrens,  which  is  very  sandy  and  unproductive.  The  streams  which  drain  the  southeastern  section  of 
the  county  (one-third  of  its  territory)  flow  into  Lumber  river,  and  are  margined  through  their  whole  course  by  alluvial 
tracts  and  cypress  swamps,  the  divides  between  these  parallel  and  south-flowing  streams  being  occupied  by  level 
upland  piny- woods  tracts  having  a  gray  sandy  loam  soil  of  fair  productiveness.  Cotton  is  the  chief  single  interest, 
but  the  product  of  grain  is  large,  and  the  turpentine  and  lumber  interests  are  still  important.  Of  the  county  area, 
14.24  per  cent,  is  tdled  land,  of  which  33.48  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

EOBESOX. 

Population:  23,830.— White,  11,942;  colored,  11,938. 

Area:  1,039  square  miles. — Woodland,  383,093  acres. 

Tilled  lands  :  103,055  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  21,607  acres;  in  corn,  49,961  acres;  in  wheat,  875  acres; 
in  rye,  1,548  acres;  in  oats,  2,814  acres. 

Cotton  production :  8,840  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.41  bale,  582  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  194  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

The  soils  of  Eobeson  county  are  mainly  those  of  the  ordinary  level  piny  woods,  but  there  are  belts  of  gum  and 
cypress  swamp  along  nearly  all  of  its  water-courses,  those  on  the  two  main  streams  being  quite  large.  The  county 
is  drained  by  the  upper  waters  of  Lumber  river,  which  enters  the  Atlantic  through  the  state  of  South  Carolina  at 
Georgetown.  On  the  higher  divides  between  the  streams  the  soil  is  sometimes  quite  sandy,  in  some  places  reaching 
the  character  of  pine  barrens.  The  lands  are  chiefly  devoted  to  the  culture  of  cotton  and  corn,  but  the  value  of  the 
potato  and  rice  crops  is  quite  considerable.  Turpentine  and  lumber  are  also  large  interests.  Marl  is  found 
abundantly  in  the  lower  half  of  the  county.  Of  the  county  area,  15.50  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  20.96  per 
cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton.     Shipments  are  made  by  rail  to  Wilmington. 

BLADEN. 

Population:  16,15S. — White,  7,598;  colored,  8, o60. 

Area  :  1,026  square  miles. — Woodland,  297,237  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  37,990  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  1,618  acres;  in  corn,  21,556  acres;  in  wheat,  109  acres;  in 
oats,  362  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  683  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.42  bale,  603  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  201  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Bladen  county  lies  south  of  Cumberland,  and,  like  it,  on  both  sides  of  the  Cape  Fear  river.  It  has  narrow  zones 
of  pine  barrens  running  parallel  to  the  river  courses  nearly  the  whole  length  of  the  county",  and  it  also  abounds  in 
cypress  swamps  and  alluvial  "  bottoms"  along  its  streams.  There  are  also  large  bodies  of  level  piny  woods.  Marl 
is  found  in  the  bluffs  of  the  river.  On  many  of  the  streams  are  extensive  bodies  of  gum  and  cypress  swamps.  This 
county  has  a  very-  limited  agriculture,  the  chief  crop  being  corn ;  and  very  little  cotton  is  produced,  turpentine  and 
lumber  being  still  among  the  chief  interests.  Of  the  county  area,  only  5.79  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  4.26  per 
cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 


The  upland  soils  vary  greatly  in  appearance  and  quality,  and  may  be  found  in  spots  and  patches  of  from  1  to  300  acres.  Cotton 
in  the  lowlands  will  not  mature,  and  is  subject  to  be  killed  by  frost ;  therefore  the  uplands  are  always  preferred. 

Three  kinds  of  soils  may  be  distinguished  : 

(1.)  The  ura'i  gravelly  soil,  with  clay  subsoil,  forming  about  one-third  of  the  land  in  this  region.  Its  natural  timber  is  cypress,  oak, 
poplar,  asb,  hickory,  guru,  pine,  aud  walnut.  The  crops  are  corn,  cotton,  and.  small  grain,  but  the  soil  is  best  adapted  to  cotton,  corn, 
and  oats.  The  cotton  crop  occupies  about  one-fourth  of  tin-  lands,  and  is  most  productive  when  3  feet  high.  It  is  inclined  to  run  to  weed 
in  the  richest  laud  and  in  wet  seasons,  and  efforts  are  made  to  restrain  this  tendency  by  topping  and  by  using  less  heating  manures.  The 
product  from  fresh  land  ranges  from  1,200  to  1,500  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,425  pounds  making  a  470-pound  bale,  which  rates  in  the 
market  as  good  middling.  After  three  years'  cultivation  tin-  hind  yields  from  800  to  1,000  pounds  per  acre,  from  1,425  to  1,540  pounds 
being  required  to  make  a  bale,  which  rates  as  low  middling.  Rag-weed  and  bog-weed  are  most  troublesome.  About  one-third  of  tin'  land 
once  cultivated  now  lies  turned  out,  but  when  it  is  again  taken  in  it  is  found  to  be  much  improved.  The  valleys  are  considerably 
improved  by  the  washings  of  the  uplands. 

(2.  j  Chocolate-colored  soil,  rich  by  deposits,  occupies  one-sixth  of  the  lands  in  a  Joel  t  one. ha  If  a  mile  wide  by  from  12  to  15  miles  long. 
The  average  thickness  is  2  feet  before  changing  into  that  of  the  subsoil,  which  is  heavier  and  sticky.  This  soil  is  last  adapted  to  corn, 
wheat,  and  oats.     Gotten  runs  to  weed  under  all  circumstances. 

('■'.)  Black  soil,  mixed  with  coarse  and  line  sand,  occupies  one-half  as  much  surface,  and  is  about  In  miles  long  by  2  miles  wide.  This 
soil  is  timbered  with  pine,  bay,  black  gum,  and  gallberrv.  The  subsoil  contains  pipe-clay,  ami  is  adapter!  to  corn,  potatoes,  and  cotton  ; 
but  one-fifteenth  of  this  soil  is  planted  in  the  latter  crop.  Fresh  land  produces  from  GOO  to  1,000  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  which 
rates  in  the  market  as  middling. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  by  steamboat  to  Wilmington.     Rates  of  freight,  per  bale,  50  cents. 


50  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


OAK    UPLANDS,  OH   METAMORPHIC    REGION. 

(This  region  embraces  the  following  counties  and  parts  of  counties :  Warren,  Franklin,  Granville,  Wake,  Orange. 
Chatham,  Montgomery,  Anson,  Union,  Stanley,  Davidson,  Rowan,  Cabarrus,  Mecklenburg,  Iredell,  Catawba, 
Lincoln,  Gaston,  Cleaveland,  Eutherford,  Randolph,  Guilford,  Alamance,  Person,  Caswell,  Rockingham,  Stokes. 
Forsyth,  Davie,  Yadkin,  Surry,  Wilkes,  Alexander,  Caldwell,  Burke,  McDowell,  and  Polk.) 

WARREN. 

Population:  22,619.— White, 6,386;  colored,  16,233. 

Area  :  507  square  miles. — Woodland,  140,528  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  83,864  acres  ;  area  planted  in  cotton,  21,603  acres;  in  tobacco,  1,759  acres;  in  corn,  28,457  acres  ; 
in  wheat,  5,09S  acres  ;  in  oats,  5,559  acres. 

Cotton  production :  7,778  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.36  bale,  513  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  171  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Warren  county  lies  on  the  northern  border  of  the  state,  and  is  bounded  in  part  by  the  Roanoke  river,  the 
tributaries  of  which  drain  about  one-half  of  its  territory,  the  southern  half  being  drained  by  the  Tar  river.  Through 
the  middle  of  the  county,  along  the  divide  between  these  rivers,  lies  a  wide,  level,  and  undulating  tract,  with  forests 
of  oak  and  short-leaf  pine,  hickory,  dogwood,  etc.,  having  generally  a  soil  of  the  class  of  gray  and  yellowish 
gravelly  and  sandy  loam,  and  frequently  belts  of  red-clay  loam.  Northward  and  southward  the  land  becomes  more 
hilly,  and  near  the  streams  the  soil  is  more  clayey  and  often  reddish  in  color.  Many  of  these  streams  are  bordered 
by  narrow  strips  of  level  bottom  land.  The  tributaries  of  the  Tar  on  the  southern  side  are  separated  by  wide 
tracts  of  nearly  level  oak  uplands,  and  are  bordered  by  extensive  bottoms.  This  portion  of  the  county  is  also  less 
broken  than  the  northern.  The  agriculture  of  the  county  is  divided  between  the  production  of  cotton,  tobacco, 
and  the  cereals;  but  the  vine  and  the  peach  flourish,  especially  in  the  northern  and  western  sections  lying  within 
the  hill  country.  The  western  border  of  the  county  rises  to  an  elevation  of  500  feet,  so  that  there  is  abundant  water- 
power  developed  by  the  fall  of  its  numerous  streams,  many  of  which  leave  its  territory  at  an  elevation  of  less  than 
200  feet.  Gold  mining  has  been  a  profitable  industry  in  the  southern  corner  of  the  county  and  the  neighboring 
parts  of  Halifax,  Nash,  and  Franklin. 

Of  the  county  area,  25. SI  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  25.76  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton.  Transportation 
to  market  is  furnished  by  railroad  to  Raleigh,  Norfolk,  and  New  York. 

FRANKLIN. 

Population:  20,829.— White,  9,476;  colored,  11,353. 

Area :  52G  square  miles. — Woodland,  146,604  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  87,492  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  30,274  acres  ;  in  tobacco,  118  acres  ;  in  corn,  32,642  acres  : 
in  wheat,  8.362  acres;  in  oats,  5,560  acres. 

Cotton  production:  12,938  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.43  bale,  609  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  203 
pounds  cotton  lint, 

Franklin  county  lies  south  of  Warren,  and  corresponds  very  nearly  in  all  its  agricultural  and  topographical 
features  with  the  description  of  that  county.  The  eastern,  and  especially  the  southeastern  sections  contain  a 
considerable  proportion  of  long-leaf  pine  as  a  constituent  of  the  forests.  This  county  is  drained  by  the  Tar  river 
and  its  tributaries.  The  middle  portion  belongs  to  the  region  of  oak  and  pine  gravelly  and  sandy  hills,  and  the 
western  end  rises  into  the  oak  uplands.  The  large  cotton  product  of  this  county  is  of  recent  date,  but  here  and 
in  the  adjoining  counties  it  has  greatly  increased  in  the  last  dozen  years.  The  western  half  is  largely  devoted  to 
the  culture  of  tobacco.  Of  the  county  area,  25.99  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  34.60  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in 
cotton. 

ABSTRACT    OF    THE    REPORT    OF    BLAIR   BURWELL,  OF   LOUISBTJRG. 

The  kinds  of  soils  cultivated  in  cotton  are  as  follows:  (1)  Sandy  soil,  with  yellow-clay  subsoil:  (2)  sandy  soil,  with  red-clay 
subsoil ;  (3)  black  sandy  soil,  with  close  black  subsoil. 

The  chief  soil  is  the  sandy,  which  forma  about  two-thirds  of  the  land  in  this  region,  and  is  the  leading  soil  in  the  counter,  with 
now  and  then  soil  No.  2  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county  and  occasionally  soil  No.  3  in  the  east  and  south.  Its  chief  natural  timber  is 
short-leaf  pine,  with  some  long-leaf  pine  in  the  southeast.  The  average  thickness  of  the  surface  soil  before  its  color  changes  is  from  3  to 
(i  inches.  Cotton  and  corn  are  the  chief  crops,  but  the  soil  seems  best  adapted  to  cotton,  which  occupies  about  one-third  of  the  cultivated 
acreage.  The  plant  is  most  productive  at  2+  feet,  but  reaches  from  1+  to'3i  feet.  Wet  weather  in  June  or  July  makes  it  run  to  weed,  and 
topping  succeeds  partially  in  making  it  boll.  Freshland  produces  500  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,425  pounds  making  a  475-pound  bale, 
which,  when  clean,  rates  in  the  market  as  middlings '  After  three  years'  cultivation  the  yield  is  from  400  to  600  pounds  per  acre,  and  1,425 
pounds  make  a  bale,  which  rates  the  same  as  the  fresh.  Wire-  and  crab-grass  are  most  troublesome.  About  one-third  of  the  land 
originally  cultivated  now  lies  turned  out,  but  when  again  taken  in  it  produces  a  fair  yield.  It  gullies  readily  on  the  slopes,  but  no 
serious  damage  is  done.  The  valleys  are  often  injured  by  the  washings  of  the  uplands,  and  efforts  have  been  made,  with  fair  success, 
to  check  the  damage  by  horizontalizing. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  by  rail  to  Norfolk  and  Raleigh,  and  the  rates  of  freight  per  bale  are  to  Norfolk  $2  25,  and  to  Raleigh  75 
cents. 

562 


AGRICULTURAL  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  COUNTIES.  51 

GEANVILLE. 

Population:  31,286.— White,  13,603 ;  colored,  17,683. 

Area:  695  square  miles. — Woodland,  161,089  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  145,030  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  6,559  acres;  in  tobacco,  8,941  acres;  in  corn,  42,608  acres; 
in  wheat,  14,428  acres;  in  oats,  14,344  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  2,535  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.39  bale,  552  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  184  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Granville  county  lies  on  the  Virginia  border  west  of  the  two  preceding  counties,  and  is  drained  partly  toward 
the  north  by  the  tributaries  of  the  Koanoke  and  partly  (in  its  middle  region)  by  the  Tar,  and  in  its  southern  portions 
by  the  Xeuse.  In  its  central  and  higher  portions,  where  it  is  500  feet  above  tide,  it  is  comparatively  level  and 
rolling,  and  has,  for  the  most  part,  a  gray  gravelly  loam  soil,  with  here  and  there  small  tracts  of  red  clay.  Among 
the  most  productive  soils  is  a  level  body  of  oak  and  hickory  land  in  the  northern  section  with  a  dark  gravelly-loam 
soil.  Smaller  iracts  of  similar  character  occur  near  the  middle,  and  also  on  the  southern  border.  The  southern 
portion  of  the  county,  along  the  divide  between  the  waters  of  the  Tar  and  Neuse  rivers,  is  another  comparatively 
level  bench  of  land,  belonging  mainly  to  the  class  of  gray  sandy  loams,  derived  in  large  part  from  the  underlying 
Triassic  rocks  (red  sandstone).  These  alternate  with  gray  gravelly  loams.  The  forests  are  of  oaks,  hickory,  and 
dogwood,  intermingled  with  short-leaf  pine.  The  principal  agricultural  product  of  this  county  is  the  gold-leaf 
tobacco,  which  is  the  largest  crop  in  the  state — more  than  4,500,000  pounds. 

The  gray  and  light  colored  granite  soils  of  the  eastern,  middle,  and  western  sections,  as  well  as  the  last-named 
(Triassic)  soils,  are  noted  tor  the  high  grade  of  tobacco  which  they  produce.  This  is  also  a  large  grain-growing 
county,  its  aggregate  reaching  nearly  750,000  bushels.  Of  the  county  area  32.61  per  cent,  is  under  tillage,  of  which 
4.52  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT    OF    THE    REPORTS    OF    J.  W.    HUNTER,    OF  KITTRELL,    AND    S.    P.    J.    HARRIS,    OF    HENDERSON. 

The  uplands  are  rolling,  partly  sandy  and  partly  mulatto,  and  the  soil  is  generally  uniform,  with  no  great  change  of  soil  or  surface 
in  the  southern  part.  The  springs  are  generally  late  and  frosts  early.  The  former  prevents  planting  as  early  as  we  would  like,  and  the 
latter  often  cuts  off  the  yield  sometimes  as  much  as  25  per  cent. ;  but  otherwise  our  climate  is  good  for  the  growth  of  cotton. 

The  soils  cultivated  in  cotton  are,  first,  a  light  sandy  and  gravelly  soil;  second;  mulatto  and  red  lands;  and  third,  a  red,  stiff  clay. 
The  chief  soil  is  the  sandy  soil,  about  one-half  of  the  lands  being  of  this  kind.  Its  natural  timber  is  pine,  oak,  hickory,  gum,  and  black- 
jack. The  soil  varies  from  a  fine  sandy  to  a  gravelly  loam  of  a  gray  color,  and  has  a  depth  of  6  inches.  The  subsoil  is  mostly  a  red,  firm 
clay,  which  mixes  well  with  the  surface  when  plowed  deeply.  The  chief  crops  are  tobacco,  cotton,  wheat,  and  oats,  but  the  soil  is 
apparently  best  adapted  to  the  production  of  tobacco  and  wheat. 

In  the  year  1869  one-half  of  the  land  was  in  cotton,  hut  in  1879  only  one-eighth.  The  plant  generally  attains  a  height  of  3  feet,  but 
is  most^ productive  when  2  feet  high.  It  tends  to  run  to  weed  in  very  wet  seasons,  and  topping  is  resorted  to  as  a  preventive.  Fresh-land 
staple  rates  in  the  market  as  middling.  The  most  troublesome  weeds  are  crab-grass,  hog-weed,  and  water-weed.  Perhaps  about  one- 
fourth  of  such  land  now  lies  turned  out,  and  these  are  now  the  most  valuable  for  bright  tobacco ;  but  when  again  taken  iuto  cultivation 
it  will  do  finely. 

The  mulatto  or  ,hght-red  land  constitutes  but  a  small  proportion  of  the  land  in  this  region.  Its  color  is  a  brown  mahogany,  and  it  has  a 
red-clay  subsoil,  underlaid  at  2  feet  by  rock.  The  red  stiff  and  pipe  clay,  extending  chiefly  around  Oxford,  is  timbered  with  oak,  hickory, 
and  black-jack,  and  is  best  adapted  to  tobacco,  wheat,  and  grapes. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  by  railroad  to  Norfolk  and  Raleigh.     Rates  of  freight  per  bale  are:  to  Norfolk,  $2  65 ;  to  Raleigh,  $1  25. 

WAKE. 

Population:  47,939.— White,  24,289;  colored,  23,650.     • 

Area :  932  square  miles. — Woodland,  240,004  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  156,899  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  59,916  acres;  in  tobacco,  230  acres;  in  corn,  53,172 acres; 
in  wheat,  14,783  acres;  in  rye,  211  acres;  in  oats,  13,948  acres. 

Cotton  production:  30,115  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.50  bale,  717  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  239 
pounds  cotton  lint. 

Wake  county,  in  which  the  capital  of  the  state  is  situated,  is  one  of  the  largest  counties  in  the  state,  and  shows 
the  largest  product  of  cotton.  It  is  drained  by  the  tributaries  of  the  Neuse,  and  lies  on  the  eastern  margin  of  the 
oak  uplands,  its  southern  and  eastern  sections  partaking  of  the  agricultural  features  of  the  oak  and  pine  gravelly 
hills,  the  forests  being  made  up  of  long-leaf  and  short-leaf  pines,  oaks,  hickories,  dogwoods,  etc.  The  northern  portion 
of  the  county,  as  well  as  the  western,  is  quite  hilly  and  broken  in  surface,  especially  along  the  streams,  and  the  soils 
are  predominantly  gray  and  yellow  sandy  and  gravelly  loams,  with  occasional  areas  of  red-clay  soils.  Cotton  is  the 
chief  crop  of  the  county,  but  the  northwestern  section  adds  to  this  industry  the  production  of  tobacco.  The  culture 
of  corn  is  also  a  large  feature  in  its  agriculture,  and  in  this  crop  Wake  also  stands  first,  exceeding  600,000  bushels, 
which,  with  the  small  grains  added,  would  nearly  reach  S00,000  bushels.  In  elevation  and  surface  features  Wake 
resembles  the  counties  last  described,  the  levels  ranging  between  300  and  500  feet  above  the  sea. 

The  product  of  cotton  has  greatly  increased  in  this  county  (more  than  fourfold),  as  well  as  throughout  this  re«TM>?. 
and  the  state,  in  the  last  decade,  and  the  fact  is  mainly  due  here,  as  elsewhere,  to  the  increased  consumption  oi 
commercial  fertilizers.  Of  the  county  area,  20.30  per  cent,  is  tilled  laud,  of  which  38.19  per  cent,  is  cultivated  m 
cotton. 

ABSTRACT    OF    THE    REPORT    OF    O.  WT.    SHAFFER.    OF    IJALEIGH. 

The  kinds  of  soils  cultivated  in  cotton  are:  (1)  mulatto  or  chocolate  land,  a  very  deep  red  clayey  loam  ;  (2)  sandy  soil  and  sandy  loam, 
light  and  easy  to  till,  but  not  rich  ;  (3)  clay  with  sand  and  mica.  The  chief  soil  is  the  "mulatto  lands'1,  and  the  proportion  of  lands  of  this 
kind  in  this  region  is  very  email,  say  1  in  50,  but  is  much  greater  in  other  townships.    Its  timber  is  pine,  oak,  poplar,  maple,  elm,  hickory, 

583 


52  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

cedar,  sweet  and  black  gum,  and  dogwood.  The  soil  is  a  heavy  clay  loam,  -which  grows  darker  with  cultivation  and  manure.  The  leading 
crops  are  cotton,  corn,  oats,  wheat,  cow-pease,  etc.  That  portion  planted  in  cotton  forms  at  least  one-half  of  all  the  lands  in  cultivation, 
and  attains  a  height  of  from  3  to  3£  feet,  the  latter  being  most  productive  if  the  season  is  favorable  and  long;  but  it  inclines  to  run  to 
weed  in  warm,  wet  weather  and  on  very  rich  land. 

Fresh  land  produces  800  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,425  pounds  being  needed  for  a  bale,  which,  when  clean,  rates  in  the  market 
as  middling.  After  sis  years'  cultivation  the  production  is  from  400  to  500  pounds  per  acre,  from  1,425  to  1,6S0  pounds  being  needed  for  a 
bale,  and  the  staple  is  shorter  and  lighter  than  that  from  fresh  land.  June  grass  is  most  troublesome.  The  valleys  are  injured  by  the 
washings  of  the  uplands,  and  efforts  are  made  to  check  the  damage  by  hillside  surface  ditches,  with  very  good  success. 

The  light  sandy  loam  occupies  two-thirds  of  the  lands,  three-fourths  of  which  is  planted  in  cotton.  This  soil,  which  extends  all  over 
the  county,  is  sometimes  underlaid  with  a  clay  subsoil  at  from  3  to  8  inches,  and  can  be  properly  described  a9  a  whitish  gray  to  brown  tine 
sandy  loam.  Its  natural  timber  is  pine,  poplar,  maple,  scrub  oaks,  elm,  and  gum.  The  subsoil  is  heavier  than  the  surface  soil,  and  is  a 
clay  mixed  with  sand;  it  is  best  adapted  to  cotton  and  pease.  Cotton  grows  to  a  height  of  from  2  to  2J  feet,  the  larger  being  the  more 
productive  in  good  seasons.    Fresh  land  produces  400  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  and  1,660  pounds  make  a  bale,  which  rates  as  middling. 

The  clay  lands  extend  throughout  the  county  in  patches,  and  the  timber  is  the  same  as  that  of  soil  No.  1.  The  color  varies  almost 
indefinitely.     The  average  thickness  of  the  surface  soil  is  from  4  to  6  inches. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  by  wagon  to  Ealeigh. 

ORANGE. 

Population:  133,698.— White,  14,555 ;  colored,  9,143. 

Area:  652  square  miles. — Woodland,  130,549  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  82,607  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  5,290  acres;  in  tobacco,  2,323  acres;  in  corn,  28,542  acres; 
in  wheat,  18,358  acres;  in  oats,  12,243  acres. 

Cotton  production :  1,919  bales  ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.36  bale,  516  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  172  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Cotton  is  beginning  to  enter  largely  into  the  agricultural  interests  of  Orange  county,  and  the  product  now  is  five 
times  as  large  as  it  was  in  1870.  The  upper  half  of  this  county  is  devoted,  in  large  part,  to  the  culture  of  tobacco, 
and  the  whole  of  it  to  the  production  of  grain  crops,  of  which  the  aggregate  exceeds  550,000  bushels.  It  is  traversed 
in  a  northeast  and  southwest  direction  through  its  middle  region  by  chains  of  slate  hills.  Its  levels  lie  between  400 
and  800  feet  above  sea-level,  the  average  elevation  being  about  that  of  the  state,  viz,  640  feet.  Its  southeastern 
section  is  drained  by  the  tributaries  of  the  Cape  Fear  river,  and  has  a  low,  undulating  tract  of  land,  with  gray  and 
yellow  sandy  and  clay  loam  soils  and  mixed  oak  and  pine  forests.  The  larger  part  of  this  county  is  characterized 
by  oak  forests  and  red-clay  soils,  with  an  intermixture  in  the  poorer  sections  and  on  the  slaty  hills  of  short-leaf  pine. 
The  region  described  as  slate  hills  is  characterized  mainly  by  a  gray  gravelly  loam  soil.  Of  the  county  area,  19.81 
per  cent,  is  under  tillage,  of  which  6.40  per  cent,  is  devoted  to  cotton.    The  university  is  located  in  this  county. 

ABSTRACT  OF  THE  REPORT  OF  C.  W.  JOHNSTON,  OF  CHAPEL  HILL. 

ft 
The  principal  soil  is  sandy,  and  occupies  one-fourth  of  the  lands  of  this  county  with  an  average  thickness  of  5  inches.     The  growth 

is  oak  and  hickory.     The  chief  crops  are  corn,  wheat,  and  oats.     The  proportion  of  cotton  planted  is  not  more  than  one-sixth  ;  its  usual 

height  is  3  feet,  and  it  produces  best  at  2|  feet,  but  runs  to  weed  from  too  much  wet.     The  product  of  seed-cotton  on  fresh  land  is  from  GOO 

to  800  pounds,  and  1,660  pounds  make  a  bale.     Crab-grass  is  the  most  troublesome  pest.     About  one-half  of  such  land  originally  cultivated 

lies  turned  out,  but  when  taken  into  cultivation  it  produces  well  if  manured.     This  laud  does  not  easily  wash. 

Shipments  are  made  by  rail  to  Raleigh. 

CHATHAM. 

Population :  23,453. — White,  15,500  ;  colored,  7,953. 

Area:  820  square  miles. — Woodland,  212,212  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  119,185  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  13,47S  acres;  in  tobacco,  141  acres;  in  corn,  43,087 
acres  ;  in  wheat,  28,930  acres ;  in  oats,  19,861  acres. 

Cotton  production :  5,858  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.43  bale,  018  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  200  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Chatham  county  lies  contiguous  to  the  long-leaf  pine  belt,  and  includes  a  small  strip  of  it  along  the  southern 
edge.  It  is  drained  by  the  waters  of  the  Cape  Fear  river,  the  main  affluents  of  which  unite  near  its  southeast 
corner.  The  principal  of  these,  Deep  river,  has  on  both  sides  extensive  bottom  lauds,  covered  with  oak  and  short- 
leaf  pine  forests,  which  are  very  productive.  A  large  part  of  its  surface  is  hilly  and  broken,  especially  near  the 
rivers,  and  in  the  middle  and  northeastern  sections  these  hills  rise  to  au  elevation  of  from  660  to  700  feet  above  the 
sea,  attaining  in  a  few  cases  theelevatiou  and  designation  of  small  mountains ;  the  average  elevation  is  500  feet.  The 
soils  are  for  the  most  part  those  of  the  oak  uplands,  generally  sandy,  gray  to  yellow  loams,  alternating  here  and  there 
with  belts  of  red-clay  soil.  Toward  the  southern  borders  occur  the  sandy  and  gravelly  oak  and  pine  hills.  With 
the  exceptions  noted,  the  forests  consist  mostly  of  oak,  hickory,  etc.  Along  the  eastern  margin  of  the  county  is  a 
wide,  level  tract  of  oak  and  pine  lands,  with  a  gray  clay  loam  soil  of  Triassic  origin.  Only  a  minor  portion  of  Chatham, 
in  the  southern  and  eastern  parts,  is  devoted  to  the  culture  of  cotton,  grain  crops  constituting  its  predominant 
agricultural  interest.  Its  corn  product  exceeds  550,000  bushels,  and  the  total  grain  crop  exceeds  800,000  bushels. 
Its  facilities  for  manufacturing  are  unsurpassed.  Two  large  and  two  other  considerable  rivers  cross  its  territory 
with  a  fall  of  from  300  to  400  feet,  and  develop  a  force  of  more  than  40,000  horse-power.  Of  the  county  area,  22.55 
per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  11.30  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

Facilities  for  transportation  are  ample,  both  by  railway  and  river. 

E.34 


AGRICULTURAL  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  COUNTIES.  53 

ABSTRACT    OF    THE    REPORT    OF    R.    J.    POWELL,    OF    PITTSBORO'. 

East  of  the  Haw  river  the  lands  are  generally  sandy,  with  some  red  clay.  West  of  the  river  the  gray,  gravelly  lands  are  suited  best 
for  cotton ;  there  is  but  little  sandy  laud  on  the  west  side.  Cotton  matures  much  better  where  there  is  sand  in  the  soil,  and  is  rarely  planted 
in  lowlands.  In  damp  locations  it  is  subject  to  rust ;  hence  the  entire  cotton  crop  is  raised  on  rolling  land.  The  stiff  red-clay  soil  produces 
a  huge  growth  of  stalk,  but  it  continues  green  till  checked  by  frost,  and  does  not  mature  the  fruit ;  at  least  one-third  of  the  cotton  fruit 
on  such  soil  uever  matures. 

The  dark  sandy  loam  east  of  the  Haw  river  extends  to  the  Orange  and  Wake  county-lines,  covering  about  one-third  of  the .comity,  and 
the  river  is  the  dividing  line  between  the  stiff  clay  and  sandy  loam  lands.  The  timber  is  oaks,  hickory,  dogwood,  and  pine.  The  soil  ix  a 
whitish-gray  and  blackish,  fine  sandy  and  coarse  sandy  and  gravelly  loam,  having  a  thickness  of  from  3  to  6  inches,  and  a  subsoil  of 
tough  red  and  yellow  clay.  The  chief  crops  are  cotton  on  the  east  side  and  cereals  and  grass  on  the  west  side  of  the  Haw  river.  Cotton 
usually  attains  a  height  of  from  2  to  5  feet,  but  is  most  productive  when  from  3  to  3J  feet  high.  It  is  inclined  to  run  to  weed  when  too 
thick  in  the  drill  in  very  wet  seasons,  and  thinning  and  topping  restrain  it  and  favor  boiling.  Fre%h  land  produces  (without  fertilizers) 
400  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  and  1,4"25  pounds  will  make  a  475-pound  bale,  which,  when  clean,  rates  as  middling  in  the  market.  After 
three  years'  cultivation  the  product  is  150  pounds  per  acre,  1,545  pounds  making  a  bale,  but  the  staple  does  not  rate  as  good  as  that  from 
fresh  laud.  Crab-grass  is  the  most  troublesome  weed.  About  one-fourth  of  the  land  once  in  cultivation  now  lies  turned  out.  Old-field 
pines  and  cedars  reclaim  our  lands  very  fast  when  not  so  rolling  as  to  wash  away,  and  in  a  few  years  they  produce  as  well  as  ever. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  in  October,  by  wagon,  to  Raleigh. 

The  report  of  Mr.  J.  F.  Rives,  of  Pedlar's  Hill,  agrees  in  the  main  with  the  above.  He  mentions,  however, 
among  tbe  cbief  crops,  besides  cotton  and  corn,  sorglmm,  wheat,  oats,  and  potatoes,  and  among  the  troublesome 
weeds  Spanish  needles  and  hog-weed.     He  considers  shallow  cultivation  favorable  to  boiling. 

Mr.  J.  W.  Scott  describes  one-half  the  lands  in  his  township — Haywood,  about  the  forks  of  Cape  Fear  river — as 
a  sandy,  gravelly  loam,  having  a  growth  of  short-leaf  pine,  oaks,  hickory,  gum,  poplar,  elm,  etc.,  about  one-quarter 
of  which  is  planted  in  cotton.  The  chief  crops  are  cotton,  corn,  wheat,  oats,  pease,  sorghum,  peanuts,  aud  tobacco. 
Cotton  reaches  a  height  of  from  3  to  G  feet,  and  runs  to  weed  in  wet  summers  on  rich  clay  soils,  but  is  restrained 
by  early  topping.  The  product  of  seed-cotton  per  acre  on  fresh  land  is  from  600  to  1,200  pounds,  from  1,425  to  1,545 
pounds  making  a  bale  of  lint,  early  pickings  grading  as  middling.  After  3  or  5  years  the  yield  is  from  300  to  500 
pounds  per  acre,  the  same  amount  being  required  for  a  bale,  and  the  staple  being  as  good  as  that  from  fresh  laud. 

MONTGOMERY. 

Population:  9,374. — White,  6,857  ;  colored,  2,517. 

Area  :  489  square  miles. — Woodland,  179,473  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  46,209  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  6,519  acres;  in  tobacco,  54  acres;  in  corn,  18,090  acres;  in 
wheat,  9.197  acres;  in  oats,  7,S52  acres. 

Cotton  production :  2,9S9  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.46  bale,  654  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  21S  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

In  its  topographical  features  Montgomery  county  may  be  described  in  nearly  the  same  terms  as  the  Chatham. 
Several  low  chains  of  mountains  or  high  ranges  of  slate  hills  cross  its  territory  in  a  direction  nearly  north  and  south. 
The  county  is  drained  by  the  Yadkin  river  and  two  of  its  cbief  tributaries,  the  Uharie  and  Little  rivers.  Its  territory, 
therefore,  is  quite  broken  in  surface.  Its  soils  are  mostly  sandy  aud  gravellj  loams,  witb  occasional  tracts  of  red 
clays.  Along  its  eastern  border,  and  particularly  in  its  southeastern  corner,  there  are  large  bodies  of  valuable 
timber,  as  it  here  touches  the  long-leaf  pine  belt;  the  lands  are  of  the  common  character  of  this  border  region, 
and  its  soils  aie  generally  lean.  Cotton  is  quite  a  subordinate  interest  in  comparison  with  grains.  Of  the  county 
area,  14.77  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  14.11  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cottou.  The  water-power  of  its  rivers 
is  very  great,  the  Yadkin  having  a  fall  within  the  county  of  more  than  200  feet  and  a  force  per  foot  of  above  350 
borse-pow  er.     There  are  many  valuable  gold  mines,  both  vein  and  placer. 

ANSON. 

Population:  17,994.— White,  8,790 ;  colored,  9,204. 

Area:  545  square  miles. — Woodland,  149,000  acres. 

Tilled  lands :  S8,293  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  28,296  acres;  in  corn,  29,121  acres;  in  wheat,  5,969  acres; 
in  oats,  8,'  99  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  11,857  bales  ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.42  bale,  597  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  199  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Anson  county  lies  on  the  southern  border  of  the  state,  and  is  bounded  on  the  cast  by  the  Pedee  river.  About 
one-third  of  its  territory,  in  the  southeastern  portion,  belongs  to  the  long-leaf  pine  belt,  with  its  characteristic  soils 
and  forests.  The  northwestern  and  northern  sections  of  the  county  consist  of  slate  soils  (gray,  gravelly  clays), 
occupied  by  f6rests  of  oak,  short-leaf  pine,  hickory,  dogwood,  etc.  The  river  hills  near  the  Pedee  have  a  sandy 
and  gravelly  loam,  becoming  more  red  and  clayey  on  the  lower  slopes.  There  lies  across  the  middle,  in  a  northeast 
and  southwest  direction,  a  low,  nearly  level  tract,  5  or  6  miles  wide,  of  brown,  yellow,  and  gray  sandy  and  clay  loam 
soils,  derived  from  the  clays  and  sandstones  of  the  Trias.  These  lands  are  naturally  quite  productive,  but  are 
much  worn,  and  have  been  devoted  mainly  to  the  culture  of  cotton,  which  is  the  most  important  industry  of  the 
county,  although  the  corn  crops  are  quite  large.  Of  the  county  area,  25.31  percent,  is  under  tillage,  of  which  32.05 
per  cent,  is  in  cotton. 


54  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

ABSTRACT   OF   THE   REPORT   OF   W.   A.   LILES,   OF   WADESBORO'. 

Tbj  chief  soil  cultivated  in  cotton  is  a  sandy  soil,  which  occupies  three-fifths  of  the  lands  in  the  region,  and  is  whitish  gray  and 
brown  in  color.  Its  timber  is  piue,  oak,  hickory,  black-jack,  and  dogwood.  The  thickness  of  the  surface  soil  on  uplands  is  4  inches;  on 
river  or  creek  bottoms  from  2  to  5  feet.     The  subsoil  is  a  purple  and  red  clay,  quite  impervious,  and  yellow  porous  clay. 

The  chief  crops  arc  cottoD,  corn,  oats,  and  wheat.  The  soil  is  best  adapted  to  oats;  but  the  proportion  of  cotton  planted  comprises 
two-fifths  of  the  cultivated  lands,  and  attains  a  height  of  from  2  to  5  feet,  but  is  most  productive  at  3  feet.  In  warm,  wet  weather  and 
rich  bottom  lands  it  is  inclined  to  run  to  weed,  and  fertilizing  favors  boiling. 

Fresh  land  produces  800  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  and  1,425  pounds  will  make  a  bale.  After  ten  years'  cultivation  the  product 
is  500  pounds  per  acre,  and  1,425  pounds  make  a  bale,  which  compares  favorably  with  the  staple  from  fresh  land.  Crab-grass  is  the  most 
troTiblesome  weed.  About  one-fourth  of  the  land  once  in  cultivation  now  lies  turned  out.  The  soil  on  the  slopes  readily  washes  or  gullies, 
and  the  valleys  are  injured  by  the  wJshings  from  the  uplands,  often  seriously. 

The  bottom  lands,  of  which  one-fifth  is  cultivated  in  cotton,  is  buff,  yellow,  brown,  or  mahogany  in  color,  and  is  late,  cold,  ill-drained, 
and  best  adapted  to  corn.  Its  natural  timber  is  oak,  gums,  poplar,  and  hickory.  The  cotton-plant  grows  from  4  to  6  feet  in  height,  and 
is  apt  to  run  to  weed  in  warm,  damp  weather  ;  phosphate  manure  favors  boiling.  Fresh  land  produces  1,500  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per 
acre,  and  1,465  pounds  will  make  a  475-pound  bale.  After  ten  years'  cultivation  the  product  is  1,000  pounds  per  acre,  1,425  pounds  making 
a  bale,  and  the  staple  compares  favorably  with  that  from  fresh  land.  About  one-twentieth  of  the  land  once  in  cultivation  now  lies  turned 
out,  but  when  again  taken  in  it  does  well. 

The  slaty  soil,  of  which  one-fourth  is  planted  in  cotton,  occupies  about  three-tenths  of  all  the  land  in  this  region,  but  the  soil  is  best 
adapted  to  wheat  and  oats.  Its  natural  timber  is  pine  and  post  oak.  The  height  attained  by  cotton  on  this  land  is  2  feet.  The 
production  on  fresh  land  is  500  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre ;  after  ten  years'  cultivation,  300  pounds  per  acre.  About  one-third  of  such 
laud  once  cultivated  now  lies  turned  out,  and  when  again  taken  in  it  does  poorly. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  all  the  season  by  rail  to  Wilmington  and  Charleston  ;  rates  of  freight  per  bale,  81  60 

UNION. 

Population:  18,056.— White,  13,520  ;  colored,  4,536. 

Area  :  557  square  miles. — Woodland,  176,245  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  83,913  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  19,090  acres;  in  corn,  2S,877  acres;  in  wheat,  12,464  acres; 
in  oats,  14,357  acres. 

Cotton  production :  8,336  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.44  bale,  621  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  207  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

The  southern  portion  of  Union  county,  which  lies  on  the  South  Carolina  border,  is  penetrated  to  a  distance  of 
several  miles  by  sinuses  of  long-leaf  pine  (sandy  lands)  on  the  level-backed  divides  between  the  streams.  This 
portion  of  the  county  is  drained  southward  into  the  Pedee  through  South  Carolina. 

The  soils  of  the  larger  part  of  the  county  are  of  a  slaty  origin,  and  are  gray  gravelly  and  sandy  for  the  most  part, 
with  occasional  areas  of  red  clays.  The  forests  are  mixed  pine  and  oak,  hickory,  etc.  The  soils  of  a  narrow  belt 
along  the  west  side  are  granitic.  The  cotton  product  belongs  mainly  to  the  southern  half,  the  northern  portion 
being  devoted  to  small  grains,  of  which  it  produces  large  crops — a  total  of  nearly  500,000  bushels. 

Of  the  county  area,  23.54  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  22.75  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT  OF  THE  REPORT  OF  H.  M.  HOUSTON,  OF  MONROE. 

The  upland  soils  vary  greatly.  The  soil  chiefly  cultivated  in  cotton  is  the  mulatto  (black-jack)  soil,  which  occupies  one-third  of  the 
lands  in  this  region,  extending  in  patches  through  the  county  in  a  direction  northeast  by  southwest,  and  is  timbered  with  pine,  Spanish 
oak,  and  black-jack.  Three-fourths  of  this  soil  is  planted  in  cotton.  The  average  thickness  of  the  surface  soil  is  2  feet,  when  it  changes 
into  the  subsoil,  wkicu  is  a  tough,  dark-red  clay.  The  chief  crops  are  cotton,  corn,  wheat,  and  oats,  but  the  soil  is  best  adapted  to  cotton, 
which  usually  attains  a  height  of  3  feet,  and  will  run  to  weed  in  wet,  warm  weather,  topping  and  fertilizers  being  used  to  restrain  this 
tendency.  Fresh  land  produces  1,200  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,425  pounds  being  needed  to  make  a  bale  of  lint,  the  staple 
rating  as  strict  good  middling.  After  ten  years'  cultivation  the  product  is  very  little  less,  and  the  staple  rates  the  same.  Hog-weed  is 
most  troublesome.  One-fourth  of  the  land  once  cultivated  now  lies  turned  out.  Considerable  damage  is  done  by  wash  or  gullies  on  the 
slopes,  and  efforts  have  been  made  to  cheek  this  by  hillside  ditching  with  good  success. 

Black  slate  gravel  soil  also  occupies  about  one-third  of  the  lands  in  patches  of  from  5  to  100  acres,  and  is  timbered  with  pine,  hickory, 
and  oak.  The  thickness  of  the  surface  soil  is  from  6  to  12  inches,  and  has  a  subsoil  of  red  clay,  underlaid  by  a  blue  slate  rock.  The  soil  is 
best  adapted  to  cotton,  and  one-fourth  of  it  is  planted  in  this  crop.  Fresh  land  produces  from  600  to  800  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre, 
1,425  pounds  making  a  475-pound  bale  of  lint,  which,  when  clean,  rates  as  good  strict  middling.  Aften  ten  years'  cultivation  the  product 
ranges  from  400  to  600  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre.  About  one-fifth  of  land  once  cultivated  now  lies  turned  out:  but  when  again 
taken  in  it  does  well  the  first  year  in  wheat  and  the  second  year  in  cotton. 

The  sandy  soil  occupies  one-third  of  the  lands  in  this  region,  running  through  the  county  northeast  and  southwest  in  6treaks,  two- 
thirds  being  planted  in  cotton.     The  natural  timber  is  pine,  hickory,  and  black-jack.  ' 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  in  October,  November,  and  December,  by  rail,  to  'Wilmington,  Norfolk,  New  York,  and  Providence  at  $2  25 
per  bale. 

STANLEY. 

Population:  10,505.— White,  9,166;  colored,  1,339. 

Area:  432  square  miles. — Woodland,  119,148  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  58,628  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  5,878  acres  ;  in  corn,  22,426  acres ;  in  wheat,  16,465  acres; 
in  oats,  10,975  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  2,475bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.42  bale,  600  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  200  pounds 
cotton  lint. 


AGRICULTURAL  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  COUNTIES  55 

Stanley  county  lies  on  the  west  side  of  the  Yadkin  river,  and  is  bounded  on  the  south  by  the  Rocky  river,  one  of  its 
largest  tributaries.  Its  soils  are  derived  from  the  clay  and  chlorite  slates  of  the  great  central  slate  belt  of  the  state, 
and  are  gray  and  gravelly  loams  or  red  clays,  according  as  the  underlying  rock  is  of  the  former  or  of  the  latter 
description.  The  forests  are  of  oak  and  short-leaf  pine.  Its  surface  is  quite  broken  near  the  rivers.  The 
southwestern  corner  of  the  county  is  characterized  by  broad  and  comparatively  level  tracts  of  gravelly  land,  covered 
with  extensive  short-leaf  pine  forests,  with  a  subordinate  growth  of  oaks.  The  cotton  product  is  of  about  equal 
value  with  that  of  the  grains,  of  which  the  total  exceeds  400,000  bushels.  The  slate  lands  of  this  region  produce 
heavier  wheat  than  any  other  soils,  reaching  65  and  even  70  pounds  to  the  bushel.  Of  the  county  area,  21.21  per 
■  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  10.02  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

Transportation  is  by  wagon  to  railroads  of  the  adjacent  counties. 

DAVIDSON. 

Population:  20,333.— White,  16,3-41 ;  colored,  3,992. 

Area:  564  square  miles. — Woodland,  142,673  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  113,314  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  3,779  acres;  in  tobacco,  484  acres;  in  corn,  36,983  acres; 
in  wheat,  32,195  acres  ;  in  oats,  16,924  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  1,553  bales  ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.41  bale,  585  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  195  pounds 
■cotton  lint. 

This  county  lies  midway  of  the  breadth  of  the  state  and  of  the  midland  division,  and  on  the  northern  border  of  the 
■cotton  belt.  The  average  elevation  is  about  800  feet  above  sea-level — the  northern  end  1,000  and  the  southwestern  600 
feet — but  is  interrupted  by  ranges  of  hills  which  are  900  feet  in  height  and  upward.  The  county  is  bounded  on  the  west 
by  the  tortuous  course  of  the  Yadkin  river,  whose  numerous  tributaries  drain  almost  its  entire  surface,  one  of  which, 
Abbott's  creek,  traverses  its  middle  section  from  north  to  south,  while  a  multitude  of  smaller  streams  flow  in  a 
generally  southwest  course  into  the  river.  Both  the  river  itself  and  these  tributaries  are  generally  bordered  by  tracts 
of  bottom  lands  with  a  rich-alluvial  soil,  covered  by  heavy  forests  of  oak,  largely  white  oak.  There  are  considerable, 
tracts  of  red-'clay  soil  scattered  through  various  portions  of  the  county,  which  are  covered  with  heavy  oak  forests. 
The  eastern  and  northern  margins,  which  lie  along  the  elevated  divides  and  swells  between  the  greater  rivers, 
contain  mixed  oak  and  pine  forests,  and  have  a  soil  which  is  generally  a  gray  and  yellow  gravelly  or  sandy  loam 
A  clay  subsoil  is  found  throughout  the  county.  The  cotton  product  of  Davidson  county  is  small,  and  is  limited  to  its 
southern  end.  Its  wheat  crop  is  the  largest  in  the  state,  and  its  total  grain  product  is  only  less  than  that  of  Ilowan, 
amounting  to  850,000  bushels.  The  southern  half  of  the  county  lies  within  the  great  gold  belt,  and  numerous 
mines  of  gold,  and  quite  a  number  of  copper  and  silver,  have  been  opened.  The  slate  hills  of  the  south  end  are 
notable  for  their  deposits  of  gold  gravel,  or  placers.  Of  the  county  area,  31.39  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which 
only  3.33  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

Transportation  is  by  rail  to  Charleston,  Norfolk,  and  New  York. 

KOWAK 

Population  :  19,965.— White,  13,621 ;  colored,  6,344. 

Area  :  482  square  miles. — Woodland,  117,870  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  94,378  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  10,645  acres;  in  tobacco,  216  acres;  in  corn,  38,963  acres; 
in  wheat,  24,195  acres;  in  rye,  253  acres  ;  in  oats,  17,751  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  4,381  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.41  bale,  5S5  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  195  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Eowan  county  lies  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Yadkin  river  and  south  of  its  principal  tributary,  the  South  Yadkin, 
and  resembles  very  closely  in  its  agricultural  and  topographical  features  the  county  of  Davidson,  above  described. 
Its  entire  surface  is  drained  by  the  tributaries  of  the  Yadkin,  which  traverse  its  territory  in  a  northeasterly  course. 
Its  middle  and  northern  sections,  which  lie  for  the  most  part  above  the  level  of  S00  feet,  rising  at  one  point  above 
1,000  feet,  are  characterized  by  an  abundance  of  red-clay  soils  and  heavy  oak  forests,  interspersed  with  hickory, 
walnut,  etc.,  only  the  higher  parts  of  the  water-sheds  between  the  streams  showing  any  growth  of  pine  (short-leaf), 
and  havinggray  and  yellow  sandy  loam  soils.  The  southeastern  corner  of  the  county,  amounting  to  one-third  (if  its 
territory,  is  quite  broken,  and  is  traversed  by  low  ranges  of  mountains  or  high  hills,  which  rise  in  places  to  a  level 
•  of  a  thousand  feet  and  more  above  the  sea.  These  consist  geologically,  lor  the  most  part,  of  ledges  of  granite  The 
hills  of  this  region  have  a  light  gray  and  yellow  sandy  loam  soil. 

The  culture  of  cotton  has  greatly  increased  in  the  past  decade,  but  still  occupies  a  secondary  place  in  the 
agriculture  of  the  county,  most  of  its  territory  being  better  adapted  to  the  growth  of  corn  and  small  grains,  of 
which  the  total  is  the  largest  in  the  state,  being  more  than  875,000  bushels.  The  upper  portion  produces  also  a 
considerable  quantity  of  tobacco.W'Of  the  county  area,  30.59  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  12.34  per  cent,  is 
cultivated  in  cotton.  There  are  many  gold  mines  in  this  county,  mostly  in  the  southern  part,  and  several  copper 
veins. 

ABSTRACT    OF    THE    REPORT    OF    J.    G.    RAMSAY,    OF    SCOTCH    IRELAND. 

The  kinds  of  soil  cultivated  in  cotton  are  the  red  clay  and  sandy  soils,  and  most  of  the  planting  is  done  in  a  mixture  of  these  soils 
■when  practicable.  About  one-third  of  the  lands  in  this  region  are  sandy,  and  the  natural  growth  is  pine,  oak,  hickory,  ash,  elm,  maple, 
walnut,  dogwood,  black-jack,  sweet  and  black  gum,  and  sourwood.  The  average  thickness  of  the  surface  soil  is  (i  inches,  and  it  is  difficult 
to  till  in  dry  seasons.  The  principal  crops  are  corn,  wheat,  oats,  rye,  cotton,  and  tobacco,  but  the  soil  is  best  adapted  to  wheat,  corn,  and 
oats.  About  one-twentieth  of  the  tilled  land  is  planted  in  cotton,  which  usually  grows  to  a  height  of  3  feet,  and  if  higher  is  not  so 
productive.  It  inclines  to  run  to  weed  on  rich,  wet  land,  not  fertilized.  Fresh  land  produces  from  50')  to  COO  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per 
acre,  1,425  pounds  making  a  bale  of  lint,  the  staple  rating,  when  clean,  about  second  rate.  Crab-gTass  is  most  troublesome.  Serious 
•damage  is  done  by  washing  or  gullies  on  tin-  slopes. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  in  October,  November,  December,  and  January,  bv  rail,  to  Salisbury  at  50  cents  per  bale. 

587 


56  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

CABABETJS. 

Population:  14,064.— White,  9,849;  colored,  5,115. 

Area:  370  square  miles. — Woodland,  80,297  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  80,439  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  19,224  acres  ;  in  corn,  26,831  acres  ;  in  wheat,  17,550  acres; 
in  oats,  7,592  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  7,467  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.39  bale,  552  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  184  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Cabarrus  resembles  Rowan  county  in  its  general  features,  both  topographical  and  agricultural.  It  is  drained 
by  the  upper  waters  of  the  Rocky  liver,  one  of  the  chief  affluents  of  the  Yadkin,  and  abounds  in  water-courses, 
which  traverse  its  territory  from  northwest  to  southeast,  dividing  it  into  narrow  zones  or  tiattish  swells,  the  higher 
parts  of  which  are  comparatively  level  and  are  covered  with  a  growth  of  oaks  and  piues  and  have  a  characteristic 
gray  to  yellow  loam  soil,  while  along  the  borders  of  the  streams  there  are  numerous  and  often  extensive  tracts  of 
alluvial  bottom  lands,  which,  as  well  as  large  tracts  of  red  clay  and  dark  gravelly  loam  soils,  are  covered  with 
heavy  forests  of  oak,  hickory,  walnut,  poplar,  maple,  etc.  Along  the  eastern  margin  of  the  county  lies  a  narrow 
belt  of  a  lew  miles  in  breadth  of  slate  hill-land,  in  the  forests  of  which  the  short-leaf  pine  predominates.  The 
soils  of  this  tract  are  much  less  productive  than  the  average  of  the  county.  Cotton  enters  as  a  large  element 
into  the  agriculture  of  this  county,  and  divides  almost  equally  the  attention  of  its  population  with  grain  crops, 
of  which  it  produces  more  than  half  a  million  bushels.  Of  the  county  area,  33.97  per  cent  is  tilled  land,  of  which 
23.90  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton.     Gold  and  copper  mining  also  come  in  for  a  considerable  share  of  attention. 

ABSTRACT   OF   THE   REPORT   OF   JOHN   M'DONALD,  OF   CONCORD. 

The  upland  soil  greatly  varies,  and  there  is  no  continuous  extent  of  any  one  variety.  No  lowlands  in  this  region  are  cultivated  in 
cotton.  The  host  cotton  lands  consist  of  a  more  or  less  fine  granitic  soil.  This  soil  is  of  a  loose,  loamy  character,  and  is  easily  worked. 
Ahout  20  per  cent,  of  the  land  of  the  county  is  of  this  character,  and  is  found  in  all  parts  of  it  in  limited  areas.  Its  natural  timber  growth 
is  hickory,  the  various  oaks,  some  walnut,  short-leaf  pine,  etc.  The  soil  is  a  whitish-gray  fine  sandy  loam  to  the  depth  of  G  inches,  with 
a  subsoil  of  stiff  red  and  sometimes  yellow  clay,  not  altogether  impervious. 

The  chief  crops  are  cotton,  corn,  wheat,  and  oats,  and  the  soil  is  well  adapted  to  all  of  these  on  the  uplands,  while  on  the  lowlands  it 
is  best  adapted  to  corn.  The  proportion  of  cotton  planted  comprises  two-thirds  of  the  cultivated  lands.  It  is  most  productive  when  :i 
feet  high,  and  is  inclined  to  run  to  weed  in  wet  seasons  or  in  a  wet  spell  preceded  by  a  drought,  but  this  tendency  is  restrained  by 
deep  cultivation  and  underdraining  by  thoroughly  subsoiling.  Fresh  lands  produce  1,000  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  and  1,425 
pouuds  will  make  a  475-po«nd  bale  of  lint,  which  rates  in  the  market  as  good  middling.  After  live  years'  cultivation  the  product  ranges 
from  500  to  700  pounds  per  acre,  about  the  same  amount  of  seed-cotton  being  needed  for  a  bale ;  but  there  is  no  difference  in  the  staple. 
Crab-grass  and  butter-weed  are  the  most  troublesome  pests.  About  20  per  cent,  of  the  land  once  in  cultivation  now  lies  turned  out;  it 
improves  by  this,  and  if  kept  from  washing  and  the  old  field  pine  allowed  to  grow  up  the  yield  will  nearly  equal  that  of  fresh  land.  Very 
little  is  done  to  prevent  washing  on  the  slopes,  except  by  hillside  ditching,  which,  if  intelligently  done,  proves  effective. 

Tho  stiff '  nmlatto-colored  soil  is  probably  the  result  of  the  decomposition  of  the  same  kiud  of  rock  as  the  granite  soils,  but  with  a  larger 
percentage  of  clay  ;  consequently,  it  does  not  wash  so  easily,  and  is  more  retentive  of  plant-food,  but  not  so  easy  to  work.  About  25  per 
cent,  of  the  laud  in  this  region  is  of  this  kind,  one-fourth  being  plauted  in  cotton.  The  surface  soil  is  a  heavy  clay  loam  of  a  mahogany 
color  to  the  depth  of  12  inches,  with  a  subsoil  of  deep  red  clay  ;  it  is  best  adapted  to  wheat,  cotton,  and  corn.  Fresh  land  produces  from 
900  to  1,000  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,425  pounds  making  a  bale,  which,  when  clean,  rates  in  the  market  as  middling.  After 
five  years'  cultivation  the  product  is  about  500  pounds  per  acre. 

The  heart;  black  soil,  with  pipe-clay  subsoil,  commonly  called  black-jack  land,  occupies  about  20  per  cent,  of  the  land  in  this  region, 
and  is  timbered  with  black-jack.  This  soil  seems  best  adapted  to  corn  and  wheat.  The  proportion  of  cotton  planted  is  one-half,  and 
the  product  from  fresh  laud  is  800  pounds  of  seed-eottou  per  acre ;  the  lint  rates  as  middling.  Cotton  shipments  are  made  to  Concord 
and  Charlotte  ;  the  rates  of  freight  are  60  cents  per  hundred-weight. 

MECKLENBURG. 

Population:  34,175.— White,  17,922;  colored,  16,253. 

Area:  576  square  miles. — Woodland,  115,649  acres. 

Tilled  lands :  134,028  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  41,343  acres  ;  in  corn,  41,2S5  acres  ;  in  wheat,  12,295  acres ; 
in  oats,  12,949  acres. 

Cotton  production :  19,129  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.46  bale,  660  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  220  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Mecklenburg  county  lies  on  the  southern  border  of  the  state,  and  is  boua^ed  westward  by  the  Catawba  river. 
The  elevation  varies  between  600  and  900  feet,  the  average  being  about  700  aa;>J|!|  the  sea.  This  is  one  of  the  largest 
and  most  productive  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  populous  counties  in  the  state.  *  The  production  of  cotton  constitutes 
the  principal  feature  of  the  agriculture  of  the  entire  county,  having  increased  more  than  threefold  in  the  last 
ten  years ;  before  the  war  the  culture  of  cotton  did  not  reach  northward  beyond  the  middle  of  the  county.  A 
considerable  portion  of  the  territory  of  this  county  belongs  to  the  class  of  red  clay  lands  which  were  originally 
covered  with  heavy  forests  of  oak,  pine  coming  in  as  a  constituent  of  the  forests  only  on  the  summits  of  the  ridges 
and  divides  between  the  streams,  where  the  soils  are  gray  and  yellow  sandy  loams.  The  higher  portion  of  the 
county,  which  lies  along  the  water-shed  between  the  Yadkin  and  the  Catawba  in  a  north  and  south  direction, 
belongs,  in  the  main,  to  the  latter  class  of  soils,  but  has  here  and  there  small  tracts  of  red  clay.  Of  the  county  area, 
36.36  per  cent,  is  under  tillage,  and  of  this  30.85  per  cent,  is  in  cotton.  This  county  shows  a  large  product  of 
cotton,  ranking  third  in  this  respect;  and  also  produces  corn  and  the  small  grains  on  a  large  scale,  aggregating 
800,000  bushels.     Gold  and  copper  mining  are  important  industries  in  several  sections  of  the  county. 

Charlotte  being  an  important  railroad  center,  the  county  has  ample  facilities  for  shipment  in  every  direction. 

538 


AGRICULTURAL  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  COUNTIES.  57 

ABSTRACT     OF    THE    REPORTS     OF    MESSRS.    R.    I.    M'DOWELL,     OF    CHARLOTTE,    AND    WILLIAM    E.    ARDREY,    OF 

PINEVILLE. 

Most  uplands  are  well  adapted  to  the  growth  of  cotton,  which  matures  early,  and  generally  not  much  is  lest  by  frost.  The  kinds  of  soil 
cultivated  in  cotton  are,  first,  gray  lands,  which  have  a  large  per  cent,  of  sand,  and  cover  one-fourth  of  the  county;  next,  mulatto  or  red 
lands,  with  a  red-clay  subsoil,  which  cover  over  one-half  of  the  county;  and  last,  a  black-jack  and  post-oak  land  with  a  hard  impervious 
subsoil.  The  natural  timber  is  oak,  hickory,  pine,  and  dogwood.  The  average  thickness  of  the  surface  soil  is  from  4  to  8  inches.  The 
chief  crops  are  cotton,  corn,  wheat,  and  oats,  but  the  land  is  best  adapted  to  cotton,  which  yields  best  when  4  feet  high,  but  grows  from 
2  to  5  feet  iu  height.  It  is  inclined  to  run  to  weed  when  the  soil  is  a  rich  heavy  loam  or  has  much  vegetable  matter;  on  most  lands 
phosphates  are  beneficial.     Fresh  land  produces  from  500  to  1,000  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,425  pounds  making  a  bale. 

Crab-grass  is  the  only  pest  dreaded  in  cultivation.  About  one-tenth  of  such  land  originally  cultivated  now  lies  turned  out,  but  is 
being  rapidly  put  in  cultivation  ;  when  again  taken  in  it  does  better  than  fresh  land,  especially  when  aided  by  fertilizers.  The  soil  on 
the  slopes  is  apt  to  wash  or  gully  unless  protected  by  hillside  ditches.     The  valleys  are  benefited  by  the  washings  of  the  uplands. 

IEEDELL. 

Population:  22,675.— White,  16,752 ;  colored,  5,923. 

Area:  595  square  miles. — Woodland,  153,039  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  101,018  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  11,603  acres;  in  tobacco,  465  acres ;  in  corn,  39,264  acres ; 
in  wheat,  17,476  acres;  in  rye,  359  acres;  iu  oats,  17,488  acres. 

Cotton  production :  4,657  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.40  bale,  573  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  191  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Iredell  is  a  county  of  rolling  uplands,  and  lies  on  the  waters  of  the  Catawba  on  the  west  and  of  the  Yadkin 
on  the  east,  being  mainly  drained  by  the  latter.  It  is  divided  in  a  northwesterly  and  southeasterly  direction 
by  the  course  of  the  tributary  streams  into  broad,  flattii-h,  elevated  zones,  the  summits  of  which  have  generally  a 
grayand  yellow  loam  soil,  with  mixed  oak  and  pine  forests  and  occasional  tracts  of  red  clay  oak-covered  soils, 
while  along  the  streams,  which  abound  in  alluvial  bottoms,  forests  of  oak,  walnut,  hickory,  etc.,  predominate. 
One  of  these  high  swells  or  divides  lies  along  and  quite  close  to  the  course  of  the  Catawba  river,  and  has  an 
elevation  of  900  feet  in  its  southern  portion,  rising  to  1,000  feet  and  upward  at  its  northern  limit.  The  average 
elevation  of  the  county  is  but  little  below  1,000  feet  above  sea-level. 

The  cotton  crop  has  increased  tenfold  since  1870,  and  is  confined  mainly  to  the  southern  half,  this  form  of 
agriculture  having  only  recently  passed  beyond  the  middle  of  the  county.  The  northern  section  produces  tobacco 
as  it*  chief  market  crop,  but  corn  and  the  small  grains  occupy  the  larger  portion  of  the  tilled  surface  of  the  county, 
and  aggregate  more  than  800,000  bushels.  Of  the  county  area,  26.53  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  11.49  per 
cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton.    Transportation  is  by  rail,  east,  west,  and  south. 

CATAWBA. 

Population:  14,946.— White,  12,469  ;  colored,  2,477. 

Area  :  445  square  miles. — Woodland,  110,328  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  75,350  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  5,175  acres;  in  tobacco,  49  acres;  in  corn,  21,248  acres; 
in  wheat,  15,054  acres ;  in  oats,  7,566  acres. 

Cotton  production :  2,012  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.39  bale, 555  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  185  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Catawba  county  lies  on  the  northern  border  of  the  cotton  belt  and  on  the  margin  of  the  Piedmont  division  of  the 
state.  It  is  bounded  northward  and  eastward  by  the  Catawba  river,  and  has  its  western  end  on  the  foot-hills  of  the 
South  mountains.  As  to  its  middle,  southern,  and  eastern  parts,  it  resembles  the  county  of  Iredell,  from  which  it 
is  separated  by  the  Catawba  river.  Through  the  middle  region  of  it,  and  in  a  northeast  and  southwest  direction,  is  a 
broad  belt  of  oak  and  hickory  forest  with  a  red-clay  soil,  while  that  of  the  western  section  is  a  light  to  yellow  sandy 
loam.  The  streams  of  this  county,  all  of  which  flow  into  the  Catawba,  are  occasionally  bordered  by  considerable 
tracts  of  alluvial  lands,  and  along  the  course  of  the  Catawba  are  extensive  bottoms.  These  and  the  red  lands  of 
the  county  are  very  productive.  In  the  .southeastern  corner,  as  well  as  along  the  northwestern  border,  are 
mountain  spurs  which  rise  to  an  elevation  of  1,500  feet  and  more  above  sea-level.  A  broad,  flatfish  plateau  crosses 
the  county  in  a  northwest  and  southeast  direction  between  these  mountain  spurs,  which,  for  the  most  part,  is 
characterized  by  sandy  and  gravelly  loams,  and  its  oak  forests  are  intermingled  with  much  pine. 

The  culture  of  cotton  has  been  introduced  into  the  county  since  1870,  and  has  become  the  money  crop.  The 
larger  part  of  its  territory  is  still  devoted  to  grain,  of  which  more  than  half  a  million  bushels  are  produced. 
Tobacco  has  been  added  to  the  list  of  its  products  within  a  few  years,  nearly  half  of  the  county  being  well  adapted 
to  the  better  grades  of  this  crop.  Of  the  county  area,  26.46  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  7  per  cent,  is  cultivated 
in  cotton.     Transportation  is  by  railroad,  east,  west,  and  south. 

LINCOLN. 

Population  :  11,061.— White,  8,180;  colored,  2,881. 

Area  :  295  square  miles. — Woodland.  20,293  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  53,571  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  7,442  acres;  in  corn,  19,338  acres;  in  wheat,  10,159  acres; 

in  oats,  6,313  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  2,945  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.40  bale,  564  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  188  pounds 

cottou  lint. 

580 


58  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

Lincoln  county  lies  south  of  Catawba  county  and  west  of  the  Catawba  river,  and  its  features,  agricultural  and 
topographial,  are  those  of  that  county,  and  may  be  described  in  nearly  the  same  terms.  Its  territory  is  drained  by 
the  parallel  courses  of  the  numerous  tributaries  of  the  South  Fork  of  the  Catawba,  which  traverses  its  middle  section,, 
and  the  average  elevation  is  nearly  1,000  feet  above  sea-level.  In  its  middle  portion  is  a  north  aod  south  zone  several 
miles  in  breadth  of  red-clay  soils,  with  oak  and  hickory  forests.  For  the  rest,  its  forests  are  mixed  oak  and  pine, 
and  its  soils  are  gray  and  yellow  gravelly  loams.    The  eastern  side  of  the  county  is  quite  hilly  near  the  river. 

Onlv  within  the  last  few  years  has  the  culture  of  cotton  entered  to  any  considerable  extent  into  the  agriculture 
of  this  county,  and  it  already  holds  the  leading  rank.  Of  the  county  area,  28.37  per  cent,  is  under  tillage,  and  of 
this  13.89  per  cent,  is  in  cotton.  The  manufactures  of  the  county,  especially  in  iron  and  cotton,  have  always  been 
considerable. 

Eailroads  cross  the  county  in  two  directions,  furnishing  ample  means  of  transportation. 

ABSTRACT   OF   THE  REPORT   OF   WILLIAM   A.   GRAHAM,   OF   IRON   STATION. 

The  soils  are  chiefly  of  three  kinds :  1,  clay  loam  and  clay  ;  2,  gray  sandy  ;  and  3,  piny  old  fields,  chopped  off.  The  leading  soil  is 
the  gray  sandy,  with  red  or  yellow  subsoil,  about  two-thirds  of  the  lands  being  of  this  description.  Its  natural  timber  is  post  oak, 
hickory,  dogwood,  and  short-leaf  pine.  The  average  thickness  of  the  surface  soil  is  6  inches ;  the  subsoil  is  a  tough  red  or  yellow  clay, 
baking  hard,  but  becoming  fine  and  friable  when  treated  with  vegetable  matter,  and  tills  easily.  The  chief  crops  are  corn,  cotton,  wheat, 
oats,  and  tobacco.  The  soil  seems  best  adapted  to  cottou,  oats,  and  tobacco,  the  proportion  of  cotton  planted  beiug  one-half.  The  latter 
usually  attains  a  height  of  from  1  to  5  feet,  and  is  most  productive  at  from  2|  to  3  feet.  It  is  inclined  to  run  to  weed  in  a  wet  August, 
or  when  planted  on  new  ground  and  not  manured  with  bone-dust.  Fresh  land  produces  from  400  to  600  pounds  of  seed-eottou  per  acre, 
and  from  1,425  to  1,483  pounds  are  needed  for  a  475-pound  bale.  After  eight  years'  cultivation  the  soil  yields  250  pounds  per  acre,  and 
the  staple  from  stimulated  old  lands  seems  to  be  longer  and  stronger.  Spanish  needles  and  crab-grass  are  the  most  troublesome  weeds. 
In  the  last  few  years  much  land  turned  out  has  been  reclaimed  and  put  in  cotton  ;  when  again  taken  in  it  does  well  in  wheat  for  a  few 
years,  and  in  oats  and  cotton  as  long  as  manured.  The  soil  readily  gullies  on  the  slopes,  and  in  many  places  serious  damage  is  done. 
The  valleys  are  to  some  extent  injured  by  the  washings  of  the  uplands,  but  the  proportion  of  valley  to  uplands  is  Dot  considerable. 
Efforts  have  been  made  to  check  this  damage  by  horizontalizing  and  hillside  ditching,  and  with  good  success  when  properly  attended  to. 

The  day  loam  and  day  soil  are  timbered  with  large  oaks,  hickory,  and  poplar,  and  the  average  thickness  before  it  changes  into  subsoil 
is  from  1  to  5  inches.  The  subsoil  is  tough,  and  contains  hard  white  gravel,  underlaid  by  slate  or  granite  at  from  4  to  10  feet.  The  soil  is 
apparently  best  adapted  to  wheat  and  corn.  Cotton  is  most  productive  at  from  2+  to  3  feet,  and  in  wet  weather  is  apt  to  run  to  weed. 
Fresh  land  produces  500  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  from  1,425  to  1,485  pounds  being  needed  to  make  a  475-pound  bale.  After  eight 
years'  cultivation  it  will  yield  200  pounds  per  acre.     The  old  jiine-Jields'  soil  is  about  the  same  a3  No.  1. 

Cotton  on  bottom  lands  being  late  in  starting  off  in  the  spring,  and  growing  too  late  in  the  fall,  the  crop  is  confined  almost  entirely 
\o  the  uplands. 

Cotton  is  shipped  by  wagon  to  Charlotte,  and  the  rate  of  freight  is  SI  25  for  25  miles. 

GASTON. 

Population:  14,254:.— White,  10,188;  colored,  4,060. 

Area  :  364  square  miles. — Woodland,  97,543  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  59,569  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  10,949  acres ;  in  corn,  24,678  acres;  in  wheat,  11,566  acres ; 
in  oats,  6,699  acres. 

Cotton  production :  4,588  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.42  bale,  597  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  199  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Gaston,  a  small  county,  lies  on  the  southern  border  of  the  state,  and  is  bounded  eastward  by  the  Catawba  river, 
whose  tributaries  drain  its  entire  surface.  In  the  southern  section  are  several  small  mountain  chains  and  spurs, 
the  highest  of  which,  King's  mountain,  reaches  an  altitude  of  nearly  1,700  feet  above  sea-level.  Most  of  the 
county  is  quite  broken,  and  partakes  of  the  character  of  the  Piedmont  division.  It  is  characterized  by  mixed  forests 
of  oak  and  pine  and  by  gray  and  yellow  gravelly  soils  of  moderate  fertility,  with  occasional  areas  of  red-clay 
soils.  In  the  northwestern  section  are  the  largest  tracts  of  oak  and  hickory  forests,  with  their  corresponding  red- 
clay  soils. 

Of  the  county  area,  25.57  per  cent,  is  under  tillage,  and  of  this  18.3S  per  cent,  is  in  cotton.  The  product  of 
cotton  has  increased  sixfold  in  the  last  ten  years. 

There  are  many  valuable  beds  of  iron  ore  in  the  county,  and  the  manufactures  of  cotton,  and  formerly  of  iron, 
have  attained  considerable  importance.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest  iron-manufacturing  regions  of  the  south,  some  of  its 
furnaces  dating  back  nearly  one  hundred  years.  In  water-power  it  has  superior  advantages.  It  has  also  several 
noted  gold  mines. 

ABSTRACT   OF   THE   REPORT   OF   JASPER   STOWE,   OF   LOWELL. 

The  soils  are  numerous,  and  vary  from  lich  to  very  poor.  Cold  weather  in  late  April  and  May  is  one  terror  to  the  cotton-planter, 
and  frequently  frosts  in  the  fall  kill  the  cotton  before  it  matures. 

About  one-sixth  of  the  cotton  land  is  what  is  termed  " chincapin"  land.  This  soil  is  gray  fine  sandy,  having  a  subsoil  of  compact 
red  or  yellow  clay,  and  occupies  patches  of  several  square  miles,  forming  large  and  small  farms  in  all  sections  of  the  county;  its  timber 
is  generally  a  mixed  growth  of  oaks  and  pines.  Cotton  and  corn  are  the  chief  crops,  but  the  soil  is  best  adapted  to  cotton,  two-fifths  of 
the  improved  land  being  occupied  by  this  crop.  It  is  most  productive  when  2^  feet  high,  and  inclines  to  run  to  weed  in  wet  seasons,  for 
which  we  think  deep  plowing  a  remedy.  Fresh  land  produces  500  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  and  1,425  pounds  will  make  a  475- 
pound  bale ;  the  grade  is  always  good.  Crab-grass  is  the  only  pest.  The  slopes  wash  or  gully  very  readily,  but  the  damage  is  not 
extensive. 

The  granite  soil  occupies  one-seventh  of  the  lands  in  this  region,  and  extends  from  northeast  to  southwest,  in  places  several  miles 
in  length  and  half  a  mile  in  width;  there  are  several  such  ranges  in  the  county.     The  timber  \s  mostly  small  hickories,  with  oaks  and 
590 


AGRICULTURAL  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  COUNTIES.  59 

pines  in  fair  proportion.  The  soil  is  a  whitish-gray,  coarse,  sandy,  gravelly  loam,  to  the  average  depth  of  5  inches,  when  it  changes  into 
the  snhsoil,  which  is  tenacious  clay,  sometimes  porous.  The  former  contains  hard  and  soft  granitic  pebbles,  and  is  only  difficult  to  till  in 
wet  seasons.  It  is  best  adapted  to  cotton  and  oats,  three-fifths  being  the  proportion  of  cotton  planted,  which  grows  from  30  to  42  inches 
hio-h.  Fresh  land  produces  from  700  to  1,500  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  and  1,425  pounds  will  make  a  475-pound  bale  of  lint,  which 
rates,  when  clean,  as  good  middling.     No  one  thinks  of  cultivating  without  manuring. 

The  hickory  or  red  land  constitutes  two-thirds  of  the  region,  and  is  timbered  the  same  as  the  other  soil.  The  subsoil  is  generally  a 
stiff,  deep-red  clay,  and  the  soil  is  best  adapted  to  corn  and  wheat,  though  one-fourth  is  planted  in  cotton.  Fresh  land  rarely  produces 
485  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  and  1,485  pounds  is  needed  for  a  bale,  which  rates  as  low  middling. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made  in  November  by  rail  to  Charlotte.     Rates  of  freight  are  from  50  to  75  cents  per  bale. 

CLEAVELAND. 

Population:  16,571.— White,  13,700 ;  colored,  2,871. 

Area  :  464  square  miles. — Woodland,  129,115  acres. 

Tilled  lands  :  85,752  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  19,238  acres  ;  in  corn,  31,339  acres;  in  wheat,  11,116  acres; 
in  oats,  10,959  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  6,120  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.32  bale,  453  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  151  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Cleaveland  county  is  situated  on  the  southern  border  of  the  state,  and  lies  -westward  of  Gaston  county.  Its 
northern  end  rests  upon  the  summit  of  the  South  mountains,  at  an  elevation  of  nearly  3,000  feet  above  sea-level, 
and  its  upper  half  belongs  properly  to  the  Piedmont  division.  It  is  drained  by  several  large,  tributaries  of  the 
Broad  river,  which  rise  in  this  chain  and  cross  the  county  southward  into  South  Carolina.  Its  agricultural  and 
topographical  features  are  very  similar  to  those  of  Catawba  county,  to  which  its  territory  is  contiguous.  Its  soils 
consist  of  alternating  tracts  of  red  or  reddish  clay  and  gray  and  yellow  gravelly  loams  (chiefly  the  latter),  and  have 
their  corresponding  forests  of  oak  and  of  oak  mingled  with  pine.  This  county  produces  cotton  throughout  its 
territory  even  up  to  the  flanks  and  on  the  slopes  of  the  South  mountains,  although  this  form  of  agriculture  is  the 
growth  "of  a  decade,  the  product  having  increased  twelvefold  in  that  time.  The  production  of  grain  exceeds  500,000 
bushels.  Of  the  county  area,  28.88  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  cotton  occupies  22.43  per  cent.  Gold  mining  is 
also  a  familiar  industry,  placers  being  common  in  the  north  and  vein  mines  in  the  south  end. 

ABSTRACT  OF  THE  REPORT  OF  J.  B.  LOGAN,  OF  SHELBY. 

The  chief  soil  cultivated  in  cotton  is  a  yellow  sandy  soil,  which  occupies  three-fourths  of  the  entire  area  and  extends  throughout  the 
county,  interspersed  with  tracts  of  red-clay  land.  Its  natural  timber  is  pine,  hickory,  oak,  dogwood,  poplar,  and,  in  the  mountainous  part, 
chestnut,  chestnut-oak,  locust,  etc.  The  average  thickness  of  the  surface  soil  is  6  inches  before  its  color  changes  into  that  of  the  subsoil, 
which  is  harder  and  heavier  than  the  surface  soil.  Cotton,  corn,  wheat,  oats,  and  sorghum  are  the  chief  crops,  but  cotton  is  planted 
on  one-fourth  of  the  cultivated  land,  which  grows  from  2  to2|  feet  in  height,  and  is  apt  to  run  to  weed  when  the  land  is  too  rich  naturally 
er  planted  too  wide  and  thinned  out  too  much.  Commercial  fertilizers  and  thicker  planting  are  used  to  restrain  this  tendency.  Fresh 
land  produces  from  GOO  to  1,200  pounds  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,600  pounds  making  a  475-pound  bale  of  lint.  After  four  years' 
cultivation  the  product  is  from  300  to  500  pounds  per  acre,  and  about  1,780  pounds  are  needed  for  a  bale.  The  lint  is  not  so  long  or 
heavy,  but  probably  has  a  firmer  texture. 

Rock  or  pigeon  weed  and  foxtail  are  the  most  troublesome  weeds.  Considerable  damage  is  done  in  certain  localities  by  the  washing 
or  gullying  of  the  slopes,  especially  in  the  white  sandy  land,  and  efforts  are  made  with  great  success  to  prevent  the  damage  by  hillside 
ditching  and  horizontal  plowing. 

There  are  three  qualities  of  land,  however :  (1)  the  yellow  sandy,  (2)  the  white  sandy,  and  (3)  the  red  rather  clayey  land  ;  but  not  much 
difference  in  growing  cotton,  the  yellow  sandy,  if  any,  being  the  best.  All  parts  of  the  county,  even  the  northern  or  mountainous  part, 
grow  cotton  tolerably  well  by  fertilizing  with  guano  or  phosphates. 

Cotton  shipments  are  made,  by  rail,  to  Charleston  at  §2  25,  to  Wilmington  at  .$1  35,  and  New  York  at  £2  95  per  bale. 

The  report  of  E.  P.  Chambers,  of  Stice's  Shoal,  agrees  in  general  with  the  above.  He  describes  the  prevalent 
soil  as  gray  sandy,  having  oak  and  hickory  forests,  and  some  pine  intermixed,  and  the  subsoil  as  usually  a  red 
and  sometimes  yellow  clay.  Two -fifths  of  the  cultivated  land  is  in  cotton,  but  rye  is  one  of  the  chief  crops. 
Crab-grass  is  the  most  troublesome  pest.    Twenty  per  cent,  of  this  land  lies  "  turned  out". 

The  second  class  of  land  has  red-clay  soil,  embracing  moie  than  one-fourth  of  the  land  of  the  region.  Its  growth 
is  oak  and  hickory,  and  the  soil  is  from  8  to  10  inches  deep. 

A  third  class  is  described  as  black  bottoms,  which  embraces  less  than  one-fourth  of  the  lauds  of  the  region,  and 
tbe  subsoil  is  usually  a  blue  clay.     Very  little  of  this  land  is  planted  in  cotton. 

EUTHEEFORD. 

Population:  15,198.— White,  11,910;  colored,  3,288. 

Area  :  520  square  miles. — Woodland,  180,192  acres. 

Tilled  lands  :  63,325  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  9,679  acres ;  in  tobacco,  38  acres;  in  corn,  32,783  acres;  in 
wheat,  8,683  acres ;  in  rye,  689  acres;  in  oats,  6,166  acres. 

Cotton  prodvetion  :  2,079  bales  ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.21  bale,  306  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  1 02  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

The  topographical  features  of  Eutherford  county  may  be  described  in  the  same  terms  as  those  of  Cleaveland, 
which  bounds  it  on  the  east.  Like  that,  it  is  traversed  from  its  northern  limit,  in  the  South  mountains,  by  the 
parallel  southerly  courses  of  several  large  tributaries  of  the  Broad  river.  Its  northern  half  is  in  many  places  quite 
rugged  and  mountainous  (being  properly  a  part  of  the  Piedmont  division;,  and  its  northwestern  corner  rests  on 

591 


60  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

some  of  the  summits  of  the  Blue  Ridge  at  an  elevation  of  nearly  4,000  feet.  Its  soils  and  its  agriculture  correspond 
in  all  their  features  to  those  of  Cleaveland  county,  and  its  cotton  product  has  inci*eased  seventeen -fold  since  1870. 
Gold  mining  is  also  an  industry  of  some  importance,  especially  in  the  northern  section,  where  placers  are  abundant 
and  extensive  on  the  flanks  of  the  South  mountains  and  in  the  beds  of  the  streams  at  their  base.  Of  the  county 
area,  19.18  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  15.1G  per  cent,  is  planted  in  cotton. 

Transportation  is  by  wagon  to  the  railroads  of  adjacent  counties,  and  thence  to  Charlotte,  Wilmington,  and 
Charleston. 

RANDOLPH. 

Population:  20,836.— White,  17,758 ;  colored,  3,078. 

Area:  701  square  miles. — Woodland,  237,909  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  91,093  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  595  acres;  in  tobacco,  45  acres  ;  in  corn,  35,338  acres;  in 
wheat,  29,443  acres  ;  in  oats,  13,524  acres. 

Cotton  production :  295  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.50  bale,  708  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  23G  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

The  southern  portion  of  Randolph  county  for  a  few  miles  from  its  border  partakes  in  part  of  the  character  of 
the  long-leaf  pine  belt,  but  for  much  the  larger  part  of  its  territory  it  belongs  strictly  to  the  oak  upland  region, 
its  surface  being  quite  hilly  and  broken,  and  near  the  western  margin  there  are  several  small  mountains.  Through 
its  middle  region,  from  northwest  to  southeast,  is  an  elevated  ridge  or  divide  between  the  waters  of  the  Deep  river 
and  the  Yadkin  which  has  an  altitude  of  from  700  to  900  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  western  and  southern 
sections  of  the  county  are  characterized  by  the  occurrence  of  sharp  ridges  and  hills  of  slate,  with  light-gray,  sandy, 
gravelly  soil ;  but  the  upper  portion  is  much  less  broken,  and  consists  of  broad,  flatfish  swells,  which  constitute 
the  divides  between  the  upper  waters  of  the  Haw,  Deep,  and  Uharie  rivers,  the  latter  being  one  of  the  tributaries 
of  the  Yadkin.  The  soils  of  this  portion  of  the  county  are,  for  the  most  part,  gray,  gravelly  loams,  alternated  here 
and  there  with  red  clay  lands.  Cotton  is  produced  in  only  a  small  part  of  the  southern  half  of  the  county,  the 
production  of  small  grains  (700,000  bushels)  constituting  its  principal  agricultural  feature.  Of  the  county  area. 
20.44  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  only  0.65  per  cent,  is  planted  in  cotton.  There  are  several  noted  gold  mines 
in  this  county. 

Transportation  is  furnished  by  the  North  Carolina  railroad,  which  crosses  the  upper  corner  of  the  county. 

GUILFORD. 

Population:  23,585.— White,  16,885;  colored,  6,700. 

Area;  6S2  square  miles. — Woodland,  108,071  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  120,722  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  283  acres;  in  tobacco,  910  acres;  in  com,  39,790  acres; 
in  wheat,  27,743  acres;  in  rye,  354  acres;  in  oats,  20,774  acres. 

Cotton  production :  114  bales,  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.40  bale,  573  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  191  pounds 
cotton  lint.     > 

Guilford  county  lies  in  the  middle  of  the  midland  plateau,  and  near  its  highest  part,  on  the  -water-shed  between 
the  Cape  Fear  and  Dan  rivers,  which  crosses  its  territory  nearly  midway  in  a  west  and  east  direction  at  an  average 
elevation  of  between  800  and  1,000  feet  above  tide.  In  its  physical  characteristics  and  its  agricultural  features 
this  county  may  be  taken  as  a  typical  average  of  this  region.  This  elevated  swell  of  land  between  the  water-courses, 
with  its  projections  at  right  angles  between  the  main  tributaries  of  the  above-mentioned  rivers,  is  characterized  by 
quite  a  uniform  forest  growth  and  soil,  both  of  which  may  be  taken  as  representative  of  these  features  for  the 
major  part  of  the  midland  division.  Its  forests  consist  mainly  of  oaks  of  various  species  and  hickory,  with  a 
subordinate  growth  of  short-leaf  pine  scattered  quite  uniformly  over  most  of  its  area.  Along  its  river  and  creek 
bottoms,  which  are  in  many  parts  of  the  county  extensive,  and  in  the  southeastern  section  of  the  county — even  on 
the  uplands — are  heavy  forests  of  oak,  intermingled  with  hickory,  walnut,  poplar,  maple,  etc.  These  lands  have 
generally  a  reddish-clay  loam  soil.  The  soil  of  the  higher  and  broad-backed  ridges  and  swells  is  quite  uniformly 
a  yellowish  sandy  and  gravelly  loam,  underlaid  by  a  yellow  and  red-clay  subsoil.  The  cotton  zone  barely  touches 
the  southern  border,  the  chief  crops  of  the  county  consisting  of  grains  (of  which  the  aggregate  exceeds  three-quarters 
of  a  million  bushels)  and  tobacco,  the  product  of  which  is  nearly  half  a  million  pounds,  grown  mostly  in  the  northern 
half  of  the  county.  Of  the  county  area,  28.10  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  only  0.22  per  cent,  is  planted  in  cotton. 
Gold,  copper,  and  iron  are  found  in  many  places,  and  have  been  mined  on  a  considerable  scale,  chiefly  before  the  war. 

Transportation  is  east,  west,  and  north  by  rail  to  Richmond,  Norfolk,  and  New  York. 

ABSTRACT  OF  THE  REPORT  OF  DR.  D.  W.  C.  BENBOVf,  OF  GREENSBORO'. 

The  principal  soil  is  light  sandy ;  but  about  one-half  the  land  of  the  region  varies  from  tract  to  tract,  and  comprises  sandy  and 
red-clay  soils,  chiefly  the  former,  and  some  dark  loam.  The  natural  growth  is  oak,  hickory,  ash,  maple,  dogwood,  short-leaf  pine,  etc. 
The  soil  has  a  thickness  of  5  inches  over  a  subsoil  of  stiff  clay,  gravel,  and  hard-pan,  and  the  chief  crops  are  wheat,  corn,  oats,  tobacco, 
and  cotton.  The  height  of  cotton  is  usually  2  feet.  One-third  of  this  land  lies  "turned  out";  it  washes  on  the  slopes,  doing  serious 
damage,  but  the  Talieys  are  improved  50  per  cent,.     Very  little  effort  is  made  to  check  damage. 

ALAMANCE. 

Population:  14,613.— White,  9,997  ;  colored,  4,616. 

Area:  445  square  miles. — Woodland,  71,239  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  72,621  acres ;  area  planted  in  cotton,  211  acres;  in  tobacco,  1,6S8  acres  ;  in  corn,  24,628  acres  ;  in 
wheat,  18,601  acres;  in  oats,   9,618  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  91  bales  ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.43  bale,  615  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  205  pounds 
cotton  lint. 
592 


-      AGRICULTURAL  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  COUNTIES.  61 

This  county  is  drained  by  the  upper  waters  of  the  Cape  Fear  river,  and  one  of  its  principal  tributaries,  the  Haw 
river,  crosses  it  from  the  northwestern  to  the  southeastern  corner.  The  soils  of  this  county  are  largely  fertile 
Eed-clay  loams,  with  oak  and  hickory  forests.  Slate  hills,  which  rise  to  the  elevation  of  low  mountain  chains, 
occupy' the  southern  end  of  the  county,  and  have  oak  and  pine  forests  and  thin,  sandy  loam  soils.  The  northern 
portion  consists  of  alternating  tracts  of  gray  sandy  loams  and  red  clays.  The  cotton  belt  barely  touches  the  southern 
edge  of  the  county.  The  upper  end  is  devoted  to  the  production  of  tobacco,  and  the  whole  of  it  to  grain  crops,  of 
which  the  yield  is  large. 

The  manufacturing  facilities  of  the  county  are  very  great,  and,  in  number  of  cottpn-looms  and  spindles, 
Alamance  stands  first  of  all  the  counties  in  the  state.  There  are  also  gold  deposits,  both  vein  and  placer,  in  tho 
middle  and  southern  sections. 

Of  the  county  area,  25.50  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  0.29  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton.  Transportation  is 
east  and  west  by  rail. 

ABSTRACT  OF  THE  REPORT  OF  J.  A.  GRAHAM,  OF  GRAHAM. 

The  principal  soil  is  sandy,  and  occupies  two-thirds  of  the  lands.  A  gray  chalky  soil  comprises  one-third  ef  the  land.  Tho  former 
is  in  scattered  patches,  and  has  a  growth  of  post  oak,  black-jack,  chincapin,  and  white  oak ;  its  thickness  is  6  inches,  over  a  subsoil  of 
yellow  clay.  The  chief  crops  are  corn,  wheat,  oats,  cotton,  and  tobacco,  but  the  soil  is  best  adapted  to  the  last.  One-fourth  of  such  land 
is  in  cotton,  and  its  usual  height  is  2  feet,  but  it  is  most  productive  at  2£  feet.  Fresh  land  produces  from  1,000  to  1,200  pounds,  from  1,425 
to  1,545  pounds  making  a  bale.  The  yield  after  three  years'  cultivation  is  from  800  to  1,000  pounds  per  acre,  1,060  pounds  making  a  bale;  but 
the  staple  from  fresh  land  rates  the  best.  The  worst  pests  in  cultivation  are  crab-grass  and  rag-weed.  Not  more  than  one-fifth  of  such 
lands  once  cultivated  now  lies  turned  out. 

PERSON. 

Population:  13,719.— White,  7,206;  colored,  6,513. 

Area  :  401  square  miles. — Woodland,  96,011  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  71,634  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  2  acres;  in  tobacco,  5,868  acres  ;  in  corn,  19,372  acres;  in 
wheat,  8,974  acres ;  in  oats,  9,821  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  1  bale;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.50  bale,  711  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  237  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Person  county  lies  outside  of  the  cotton  belt,  and  belongs  to  the  bright  tobacco  zone.  Near  the  middle  of  it 
rise  several  low  mountain  ridges  of  granite  and  slate,  with  oak  and  pine  forests.  These  attain  an  altitude  of  about 
1,000  feet  (the  general  elevation  being  from  600  to  700  feet),  and  have  a  thin  gravelly  and  sandy  soil,  while  the  other 
sections  are  alternately  of  this  character  and  of  red-clay  soils  of  greater  fertility.  To  the  latter  class  belong 
especially  the  northwestern  and  southeastern  sections.  The  chief  agricultural  interest  is  the  production  of  tobacco 
of  a  high  grade,  in  which  industry  this  is  one  of  the  leading  counties.  To  this  crop  the  light  sandy  soils  are 
peculiarly  adapted.  In  tobacco  product  Person  county  is  fourth  in  rank.  Of  the  county  area,  27.91  per  cent  is 
tilled  land,  of  which  only  an  insignificant  portion  is  planted  in  cotton. 

Transportation  is  by  wagon  to  the  railroad  in  adjoining  counties,  and  so  to  Richmond  and  the  other  markets. 

CASWELL. 

Population  :  17,825.— White,  7,169  ;  colored,  10,656. 

Area:  407  square  miles. — Woodland,  76,200  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  83,545  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  6  acres;  in  tobacco,  10,174  acres;  in  corn,  25,663  acres;  in 
wheat,  10,841  acres ;  in  oats,  14,441  acres. 

Cotton  production :  4  bales;  average  cotton  product  uer  acre,  0.67  bale,  951  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  317  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Caswell  county  duplicates  the  features  of  Person,  both  agriculturally  and  topographically,  except  that  the 
mountains  are  wanting.  The  larger  part  of  its  territory  is  devoted  to  the  production  of  bright  yellow  tobacco,  while 
grain  crops  'occupy  a  comparatively  subordinate  position,  and  are  produced  principally  along  the  river  and  creek 
bottoms  which  abound  in  the  northern  and  eastern  sections  of  this  county.  The  northeastern  section  consists  largely 
of  red-clay  lands,  with  oak  and  hickory  forests,  while  the  lighter  tobacco  soils  occupy  most  of  the  southern  and 
western  portions.  Caswell  ranksthird  among  the  tobacco  counties  in  aggregate  product.  Of  the  county  area,  32.07 
per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  0.01  per  cent,  is  planted  in  cotton. 

Transportation  is  furnished  by  the  Ricbnumd  and  Danville  railroad  and  a  branch  of  it. 

ROCKINGHAM. 

Population:  21,744.— White,  12,431;  colored,  9,313. 

Area:  582  square  miles. — Woodland,  138,200  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  77.439  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  5  acres;  in  tobacco,  9,332  acres;  in  corn,  25,175  acres; 
in  wheat,  11,298  acres;  in  rye,  301  acres;  in  oats,  15,200  acres. 

Cotton  production:  3  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.60  bale,  855  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  285  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Rockingham,  like  the  two  preceding,  is  a  border  county,  and  belongs  to  the  same  famous  bright  tobacco  licit.  It 
is  traversed  in  a  northeasterly  course  by  the  waters  of  the  Dan  river,  and  its  southern  section  is  drained  by  the  upper 
tributaries  of  the  Cape  Fear  (Haw)  river.  The  northwestern  corner  of  this  county,  constituting  a  bout  one-third  of  its 
territory,  near  the  Virginia  line  and  north  of  the  Dan  river,  consists  for  the  most  part  of  elevated  flatfish  ridges  and 
swells  having  gray,  yellow,  gravelly  loam  soils,  while  the  southern  and  eastern  two-thirds  of  the  county  consist  of 
alternating  belts  of  these  loams  ami  of  red  clays.  Besides  tobacco,  in  which  this  county  ranks  second,  large  crops  of 
38  o  p — vol.  n  5'j:i 


62  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

grain  are  produced — upward  of  000,000  bushels.  Dau  river,  with  its  tributaries,  furnishes  abundant  water-power, 
and  the  former  stream  is  navigable  in  a  small  way  for  flat-boats.  A  bed  of  semi-bituminous  coal,  3  feet  in  thickness, 
and  of  good  quality,  outcrops  in  the  eastern  section,  but  it  has  been  but  little  mined.  Of  the  county  area,  20.79  per 
cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  only  0.01  per  cent,  is  planted  in  Cotton. 

Shipments  are  made  by  rail  to  Danville,  Richmond,  and  other  markets. 

STOKES. 

Population:  15,353.— White,  11,730 ;  colored,  3,G23. 

Area:  470  square  miles. — Woodland,  131, 4S3  acres. 

Tilled  land*  :  53,309  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  13  acres  ;  in  tobacco,  4,090  acres ;  in  corn,  19,969  acres ;  in 
wheat,  9,374  acres;  in  rye,  1,195  acres  ;  in  oats,  8,408  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  7  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.54  bale,  708  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  250  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Stokes  is  another  border  county,  and  belongs  also  to  the  bright  tobacco  belt.  It  is  drained  by  the  upper 
tributaries  of  the  Dan,  and  belongs  to  the  Piedmont  division  of  the  state.  Its  surface  is  for  the  most  part  quite 
rugged  and  broken,  containing  the  terminal  spurs  and  ridges  of  the  Brushy  mountains,  which  here  attain  au 
elevation  of  more  than  2,500  ieet  above  the  sea.  The  general  elevation  is  above  1,000  feet.  The  forests  of  this 
county  and  of  the  Piedmont  region  generally  contain  au  added  element,  the  chestnut,  on  elevated  ridges  and 
mountain  slopes,  and  the  proportion  increases  with  the  elevation.  A  new  species  of  oak  also  makes  its 
appearance,  the  chestnut  oak,  which  occupies  the  crests  and  upper  slopes  of  the  poorer  stony  and  gravelly  ridges 
of  the  whole  mountain  region.  The  proportion  of  sourwood  (Oxydendron)  also  increases  to  such  an  extent  in  the 
Piedmont  region  as  to  become  a  marked  characteristic  of  its  forests,  and  is  indicative  of  a  scant  soil.  It  is  worthy 
of  note  that,  with  the  extinction  of  the  herbage  which  originally  mantled  the  soil  and  kept  it  moist,  the  chestnut 
has  almost  disappeared  in  half  a  century  from  the  upper  midland  counties,  and  is  dying  out  slowly  in  the 
Piedmont  region. 

The  soils  of  this  county  resemble  those  of  Rockingham,  being  predominantly  yellow  and  gray  gravelly  loams, 
with  occasional  red-clay  belts,  the  former  well  adapted  to  the  production  of  the  higher  grades  of  tobacco,  which 
constitutes  the  chief  element  of  its  agriculture,  and  in  the  total  product  of  which  this  county  stands  filth.  Its 
manufacturing  facilities  are  great  but  undeveloped,  and  it  is  rich  in  iron  ores.  Its  agriculture  has  the  advantage 
of  the  presence  of  several  limestone  beds,  and  there  are  also  outcrops  of  semi-bituminous  coal  in  the  southeastern 
sectiou.     Of  the  county  area,  17.52  per  cent  is  tilled  land,  of  which  only  0.02  per  cent,  is  planted  in  cotton. 

Transportation  is  by  wagon,  and  occasionally  by  flat-boats  on  the  Dan  river.  A  railroad  from  Greensboro'  is 
nearly  finished  to  the  border. 

PORSTTH. 

Population:  18,070.— White,  13,441 ;  colored,  4,629. 

Area:  364  square  miles. — Woodland,  91,053  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  59,157  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  16  acres;  in  tobacco,  1,693  acres;  in  corn,  20,920  acres; 
in  wheat,  13,590  acres;  in  rye,  492  acres;  in  oats,  11,780  acres. 

Cotton  production :  10  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.63  bale,  S91  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  297  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Forsyth  county  lies  west  of  Guilford,  and  is  bounded  on  the  west  by  the  Yadkin  river.  Through  its  middle 
portion  is  a  broad  swell  or  plateau,  the  divide  between  the  waters  of  the  Yadkin  and  Dan,  with  au  elevation  of  from 
1,000  to  1,200  feet,  and  having  forests  of  oak.  dogwood,  sourwood,  pine,  etc.  Its  soils  are  light,  gray  loams.  The 
tributaries  of  the  Yadkin,  which  drain  the  southwestern  section,  abound  in  bottom  lands  of  great  fertility",  and  have 
heavy  oak  forests,  interspersed  with  hickory,  walnut,  poplar,  etc.,  while  the  middle,  northern,  and  eastern  section's 
are  characterized  largely  by  gray  sandy  loam  soils,  with  forests  of  oak  and  pine.  This  county  shows  an  increasing 
product  of  the  better  and  medium  grades  of  tobacco,  but  it  produces  chiefly  grain  crops — an  aggregate  of  more 
than  500,000  bushels.     Of  the  county  area,  25.39  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  cotton  occupies  only  0.03  per  cent. 

Transportation  is  by  rail  to  Greensboro'  and  to  the  other  markets  beyond. 

DAVIE. 

Population:  11,090.— White,  7,770;  colored,  3,326. 

Area:  2S9  square  miles. — Woodland,  63,566  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  59,272  acres. — Area  planted  in  cottou,  790  acres;  iu  tobacco,  1,205  acres;  in  corn,  22,125  acres , 
in  wheat,  13,244  acres;  in  rye,  444  acres;  in  oats,  13,366  acres. 

Cotton  production :  302  bales  ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.38  bale,  546  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  182  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

The  small  county  of  Davie  lies  in  the  angle  between  the  Yadkin  and  the  South  Yadkin  rivers,  and  resembles  in 
its  general  features  the  preceding  county.  It  also  corresponds  with  that  county  in  its  agricultural  productions.  In 
the  southern  half  ®f  this  county  the  soils  belong  largely  to  the  class  of  red  clays,  and  are  covered  with  heavy  oak 
forests,  while  the  middle  and  northern  portions  have  a  mixed  growth  of  oaks  and  pines  and  a  light-gray,  sandy, 
and  gravelly  soil.  This  section  of  the  county  is  mainly  devoted  to  the  culture  of  tobacco.  The  river  hills,  flanking 
both  the  Yadkin  and  its  chief  tributaries,  are  quite  broken,  and  have  a  productive  gravelly  loam  soil  and  forests 
predominantly  of  oak.  The  elevation  of  the  surface  ranges  from  700  to  1,000  feet,  the  average  being  about  S50 
feet  above  sea-level.  The  culture  of  cotton  has  recently  entered  the  southern  and  western  townships.  The  grain 
crop  is  quite  large,  exceeding  650,000  bushels;  and  latterly  also  tobacco  has  been  cultivated  to  a  considerable  extent 
in  the  north  and  west  sections,  the  soils  of  a  large  part  of  its  territory  being  well  adapted  to  the  higher  grades. 
There  are  several  valuable  iron-ore  deposits  in  the  county.  Of  the  county  area,  only  32.05  per  cent,  is  tilled  land, 
and  the  proportion  of  cotton  planted  is  1.33  per  cent,  of  the  latter. 

Transportation  is  furnished  by  the  Western  Korth  Carolina  railroad,  which  crosses  the  adjacent  county  of 
Rowan. 
r>94 


AGRICULTURAL  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  COUNTIES  63 

YADKIN. 

Population  :.  12,420.— White,  10,876;  colored,  1,544. 

Area  :  351  square  miles.— Woodland,  89,582  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  52,816  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  87  acres;  in  tobacco  425  acres;  in  corn,  21,735  acresf 
in  wheat,  10,190  acres;  in  rye,  821  acres;  in  oats,  11,289  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  26  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.30  bale,  426  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  142  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Yadkin  county  bes  immediately  north  of  Davie,  in  the  bend  of  the  Yadkin  river,  which  bounds  it  northward 
and  eastward.  It  is  traversed  in  a  nearly  east  and  west  course  by  the  Brushy  mountains,  which  here  drop  down 
into  low  spurs  and  swells,  the  average  elevation  of  the  county  being  probably  not  greater  than  1,200  feet.  Its 
soils  and  forests  are  like  those  of  Davie  county.  Its  agricultural  interest  is  divided  between  the  production  of 
tobacco  and  grain  crops,  the  product  of  the  latter  nearly  reaching  half  a  million  bushels.  Cotton  culture  has 
invaded  its  southern  border  to  a  small  extent  within  a  few  years.  There  are  several  iron  mines  in  the  county, 
but  they  have  been  little  worked,  as  they  are  too  far  from  market.  Of  the  county  area,  23.51  per  cent,  is  tilled 
land,  of  which  0.16  per  cent,  is  planted  in  cotton. 

No  railroad  has  yet  reached  the  county. 

SURRY. 

Population:  15,302.— White,  13,227;  colored,  2,075. 

Area:  476  square  miles. — Woodland,  188,031  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  69,011  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  3  acres;  in  tobacco,  2,136  acres;  in  corn,  25,334  acres;  in 
wheat,  9,823  acres ;  in  rye,  3,027  acres ;  in  oats,  9,199  acres ;  in  buckwheat,  71  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  lbale;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.33  bale,  474  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  158  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Surry  is  a  north  border  county  contiguous  to  the  Blue  Ridge,  and  belongs  to  the  Piedmont  section  of  the 
state.  The  Yadkin  river  is  its  southern  boundary.  Its  western  section  is  quite  mountainous,  and  there  are  small 
mountains  in  the  middle;  so  that  its  surface  is  quite  broken,  and  its  average  elevation  is  nearly  1,400  feet.  Its  soils 
and  forests  are  like  those  of  the  neighboring  counties,  Stokes  and  Forsyth,  the  high  slaty  ridges  and  mountains,  as 
well  as  much  of  the  rolling  surface,  having  a  light  gray,  sandy  loam  soil  and  forests  of  oak  and  pine,  with  sourwood 
and  chestnut,  while  the  better  tracts  of  reddish  clay  loams  have  a  predominant  growth  of  oaks,  hickory,  poplar, 
etc.,  with  little  or  no  pine. 

The  agriculture  of  the  county  is  like  that  of  Stokes,  tobacco  of  the  better  grades  being  the  chief  market  crop, 
but  of  greatly  less  value  than  the  grain  product,  which  exceeds  500,000  bushels.  The  water-power  of  the  county 
is  notable,  a  number  of  large  tributaries  of  the  "Yadkin  crossing  its  territory  with  a  fall  of  several  hundred  feet. 
This  is  a  feature  common  to  the  whole  Piedmont  region.  There  are  several  cotton  factories  and  iron  mines  and 
forges  in  the  county.  Of  the  county  area,  22.65  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  only  an  insignificant  portion  is 
cultivated  in  cotton. 

WILKES. 

Population:  19,181.— White,  17,257  ;  colored,  1,924. 

Area :  626  square  miles. — Woodland,  268,834  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  80,512  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  107  acres;  in  tobacco,  110  acres;  in  corn,  34,865  acres; 
in  wheat,  9,515  acres;  in  rye,  5,236  acres;  in  oats,  8,240  acres;  in  buckwheat,  218  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  29  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.27  bale,  387  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  129  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Wilkes  county  lies  west  of  Surry,  and  differs  from  it  only  in  being  more  mountainous  and  rugged  and  having 
a  greater  average  elevation— not  less  than  1,500  feet.  Its  northern  margin  rests  on  the  summits  of  the  Blue  Ridge 
(at  an  elevation  of  from  3,000  to  4,000  feet),  its  southern  on  the  Brushy  mountains  (from  2,000  to  2,500  feet  above  sea- 
level),  and  its  whole  surface  is  carved  into  a  succession  of  mountain  ridges  and  narrow  intervening  valleys  by  the 
Yadkin  and  its  numerous  tributaries.  Its  agriculture  and  its  forests  may  be  described  in  the  same  terms  as  were 
those  of  Surry,  except  that,  with  the  increase  of  elevation,  the  growth  of  chestuut  increases,  and  a  new  forest 
element  enters,  to  a  small  extent,  in  the  white  pine  (P.  strobus),  both  in  the  South  mountains  and  on  the  flanks  of 
the  Blue  Ridge.  Along  the  margin  of  the  Yadkin  river  and  its  larger  tributaries  are  frequent  and  wide  tracts  of 
sandy  and  clay  bottom  lands.  In  various  parts  of  the  county  are  small  areas  of  reddish  clay  soil,  but  much  the 
larger  part  of  it  shows  the  average  oak  upland  soil,  yellow  or  gray  sandy  loam.  The  lighter  soils  are  well  adapted 
to  the  highest  grades  of  tobacco,  the  culture  of  which  begins  to  enter  largely  into  its  agriculture.  Of  the  county 
area,  20.10  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  only  0.13  per  cent,  is  planted  in  cotton.  The  water-power  of  the  county 
is  very  large,  the  sources  of  its  multitude  of  rivers  having  an  elevation  of  from  2,000  to  3,000  feet  above  tide,  and 
their  mouths  less  than  1,000  feet. 

ALEXANDER. 

Population:  8,355. — White,  7,458;  colored,  897. 

Area:  245  square  miles. — Woodland,  82,690  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  41,572  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  617  acres;  in  tobacco,  28  acres;  in  corn,  16,789  acres;  in 
wheat,  6,376  acres;  in  rye,  760  acres;  in  oats,  7,503  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  182  bales  ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.29  bale,  420  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  140  pounds 
cotton  lint.  505 


64  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

Alexander,  one  of  tbe  smallest  counties  in  North  Carolina,  lies  south  of  Wilkes,  and  is  separated  from  it  by  the 
chain  of  the  Brushy  mountains.  A  large  part  of  this  county  is  traversed  or  penetrated  by  spurs  and  high  ridges 
thrown  off  southward  from  that  range,  many  of  which  rise  to  the  elevation  of  2,000  feet,  and  its  territory  is  drained 
southward  by  the  tributaries  of  the  Catawba.  The  southeastern  section,  as  well  as  the  middle,  is  characterized 
largely  by  oak  forests,  with  red  clay  soils,  the  higher  divides  and  ridges  and  spurs  showing  a  large  admixture  of 
pine  and  chestnut  and  a  more  open,  light  colored,  and  sandy  soil.  The  northern,  western,  and  northeastern  sections 
are  quite  broken  and  mountainous.  The  culture  of  cotton  has  entered  the  territory  of  this  county  within  the  last 
few  years,  though  its  product  amounts  to  but  a  few  score  of  bales.  Tobacco  is  cultivated  to  some  extent  on  the 
lighter  soils,  but  corn  and  wheat  are  the  principal  products.  It  has  ample,  but  undeveloped,  water-power,  and  it 
has  iron-ore  beds  of  considerable  extent,  as  well  as  a  great  variety  of  other  minerals.  Of  the  county  area,  26.51 
per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  1.49  per  cent,  is  planted  in  cotton. 

ABSTRACT    OF   THE   REPORT    OF   AV.    P.    BURKE,   OF   TAYLORSVILLE. 

The  chief  soil  is  a  clay  gravelly  loam,  embracing  three-fourths  of  the  lands,  and  having  a  natural  timber  growth  of  oaks,  hickory, 
and  pine.  The  thickness  of  the  soil  is  8  inches  over  a  red-clay  subsoil.  The  chief  crops  are  corn,  wheat,  and  oats.  The  proportion 
planted  in  cotton  is  1  acre  in  25 ;  the  usual  height  is  '.i  feet,  and  it  is  most  productive  at  2^  feet.  Fresh  land  produces  COO  pounds  of 
seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,425  pounds  making  a  bale  of  lint.  None  of  these  lands  'lie  turned  out.  The  soil  easily  gullies  on  slopes,  but 
there  is  no  serious  damage  done. 

Transportation  is  by  wagon  to  the  railroad  at  Statesville. 

CALDWELL. 

Population:  10,291.— White,  8,091;  colored,  1,000. 

Area:  495  square  miles. — Woodland,  151,037  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  41,512  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  30  acres;  in  tobacco,  75  acres;  in  corn,  17,315  acres;  in 
wheat,  S,211  acres;  in  rye,  084  acres;  in  oats,  3,886  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  12  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.40  bale,  570  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  190  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Caldwell  county  lies  upon  the  flanks  of  the  Blue  Bidge,  and  exteuds  southward  beyond  the  Brushy  mountains, 
a  smaller  and  parallel  range  2,000  feet  and  more  in  altitude.  It  is  drained  by  the  upper  tributaries  of  the  Catawba 
river  and  of  the  Yadkin,  the  larger  of  which  rise  in  the  summits  of  the  Blue  Bidge  and  its  culminating  region  in 
Grandfather  mountain,  which  touches  the  elevation  of  nearly  0,000  feet  above  the  sea.  This  mountain  throws  off 
a  number  of  long,  heavy  spurs  down  to  the  middle  of  the  county;  and  is  traversed  midway  in  a  direction 
parallel  to  the  other  two  chains  by  the  Warrior  mountains,  so  that  its  surface  is  for  the  most  part  quite  broken 
and  rugged ;  but  the  different  chains  are  separated  by  extensive  open  valleys,  and  there  is  a  great  area  of  river 
and  creek  bottoms.  The  lands  in  the  middle  and  southern  sections  generally  have  a  red  clay  or  yellow  sandy 
loam  soil  of  more  than  medium  fertility,  while  its  higher  regions,  on  the  ridges  and  spurs  of  the  mouutaius,  are 
frequently  slaty  ledges,  with  gray  sandy  and  gravelly  soils  of  medium  to  low  quality.  Its  forests  are  predominantly 
of  oak  in  the  middle  section  and  of  pine  and  oak  in  the  southern  and  northern,  that  is,  in  the  more  mountainous 
regions,  while  in  the  latter  section  white  pine,  hemlock,  and  chestnut  constitute  a  considerable  element  of  the 
forest  growth.  The  chief  crops  are  grain,  but  tobacco  culture  has  been  recently  introduced,  and  for  a  few  years 
past  a  few  bales  of  cotton  have  been  raised  in  an  experimental  way.  Of  the  county  area,  13.10  per  cent,  is  tilled 
land,  of  which  0.07  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton.  Of  minerals  the  county  contains  gold  and  iron,  the  former  in 
both  placers  and  veins. 

Transportation  is  furnished  by  the  Western  Korth  Carolina  railroad,  which  crosses  the  neighboring  counties 
south,  and  a  narrow-gauge  road  is  nearly  finished  to  the  center  of  the  county. 

BURKE. 

Population  .-  12,809.— White,  10,088  ;  colored,  2,721. 

Area:  4S9  square  miles. — Woodland,  129,089  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  42,545  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  752  acres;  in  tobacco,  5S  acres;  in  corn,  22,013  acres;  in 
wheat,  10,010  acres;  in  rye,  1,054  acres  ;  in  oats,  3,455  acres. 

Cotton  production :  301  bales :  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.48  bale,  GS4  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  228  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Burke  county  lies  westward  of  Caldwell  on  both  sides  of  the  Catawba  river,  which  traverses  its  middle  section 
and  drains  its  entire  territory.  Its  southern  flank  lies  upon  the  crests  of  the  South  mountains,  which  here  reach  an 
elevation  of  over  3,000  feet  above  the  sea  and  send  oft'  spurs  in  a  northerly  and  northeasterly  direction  almost  to  the 
middle  of  the  county.  The  northern  end  is  elevated  upon  two  of  the  most  massive  spurs  of  the  Blue  Bidge, 
Linville  and  Table  Bock,  which  here  rise  to  an  elevation  of  nearly  4,000  feet ;  and  from  this  are  thrust  out 
numerous  long  and  rugged  spurs  and  ridges  in  a  southeasterly  course.  A  large  part  of  the  territory  of  this  county, 
1  herefore,  is  mountainous,  and  the  average  elevation  is  not  less  than  1 ,300  feet.  In  its  middle  section  are  considerable 
tracts  of  red-clay  soils,  with  forests  predominantly  of  oak,  hickory,  etc,  while  the  remainder  of  the  county  is 
characterized  in  this  respect  by  mrxed  forests  of  oak.  pine,  chestnut,  etc.,  with  white  pine  in  the  mountains  of  the 
south  and  north.  The  river  and  creek  bottoms  are  very  extensive  and  fertile,  and  have  light-colored  clays,  loams, 
and  sandy  soils.  In  the  middle  section,  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  the  uplands  usually  have  a  red-clay  soil  and  oak 
forests.  The  other  parts  of  the  county  have  soils  of  a  lighter  color,  yellowish  to  gray  loams,  aud  forests  of  the 
usual  mixed  character  of  the  region — oak,  pine,  chestnut,  sourwood,  dogwood,  etc.  Placer  gold  mines  are  numerous 
in  the  South  mountains,  and  there  are  several  vein  mines  on  the  north  side  of  the  county.  Cotton  and  tobacco  have 
been  added  to  the  list  of  cultivated  crops  within  a  few  years,  but  grain  forms  the  chief  crop,  and  has  an  aggregate 
yield  of  400,000  bushels.  Of  the  county  area,  13.59  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  1.78  per  cent,  is  planted  in 
cotton. 

Transportation  is  by  rail,  east  and  west. 
£05 


AGRICULTURAL  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  COUNTIES.  65 

Mcdowell. 

Population:  9,836.— White,  7,936;  colored,  1,897. 

Area  :  545  square  miles. — Woodland,  122,129  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  34,79S  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  23  acres;  in  tobacco,  100  acres;  in  corn,  17,675  acres;  in 
wheat,  6,397  acres;  in  rye,  1,360  acres;  in  oats,  1,690  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  9  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.39  bale,  558  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  186  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

McDowell  county  lies  on  tbe  eastern  flank  of  the  Blue  Eidge  near  its  highest  parts,  which  exceeds  in  this 
region  an  elevation  of  5,500  feet,  and  its  whole  territory  may  be  described  as  mountainous.  Its  average  elevation 
is  more  than  1,500  feet,  and  it  is  for  the  most  part  drained  by  the  headwaters  of  the  Catawba  river.  The  southern 
and  broader  end  of  its  triangular  territory  is  traversed  east  and  west  by  the  South  mountains,  a  long  eastward 
projection  or  spur  from  the  Blue  Eidge.  Along  the  course  of  the  Catawba  river  and  some  of  its  chief  tributaries 
are  wide  tracts  of  sandy  and  alluvial  bottoms,  which  are  very  productive.  Tbe  hilly  and  mountainous  tracts  have 
the  usual  variety  of  gray  and  yellowish  oak  uplands  soils  of  medium  fertility  and  mixed  forests  of  oak,  pine, 
chestnut,  etc.  Eeddish  clay-loam  soils,  with  a  preponderant  oak  forest,  are  found  in  patches  here  and  there  in  the 
middle  and  southeastern  sections.  A  large  proportion  of  the  soils  of  the  county  ate  well  adapted  to  the  better 
grades  of  tobacco,  and  the  agriculture  of  the  county  has  the  great  advantage  of  an  abundance  of  limestone  in  the 
northern  and  middle  sections.  Gold  mining  in  the  South  mountains  has  long  been  an  important  industry,  several  mica 
mines  having  been  opened,  and  some  attention  is  given  to  lumbering.  There  is  a  large  amount  of  valuable  timber  on 
the  slopes  of  the  Elite  Eidge  and  in  the  mountain  coves,  which  must  become  the  foundation  of  important  manufactures, 
and  then  there  is  an  indefinite  amount  of  water-power.  Iron  ores  of  low  grade  are  abundant.  Of  the  county  area,  9.98 
per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  0.07  per  cent,  is  planted  in  cotton. 

Transportation  is  by  rail,  east  and  west. 

FOLK. 

Population :  5,062.— White,  Q,918 ;  colored,  1,144. 

Area-:  257  square  miles. — Woodland,  72,813  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  21,027  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  1,646  acres;  in  corn,  10,632  acres;  in  wheat,  1,896  acres; 
in  rye,  600  acres ;  in  oats,  877  acres. 

Cotton  production :  362  bales;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.22  bale,  312  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  104  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Folk  is  the  southernmost  of  the  Piedmont  counties,  lying  upon  the  border  of  South  Carolina,  and  of  the  cotton 
belt,  which  barely  enters  its  southeastern  corner.  Three-fourths  of  the  territory  of  the  county  is  very  mountainous, 
as  it  is  bounded  westward  by  the  Blue  Eidge,  and  its  western  and  northern  sections  are  penetrated  by  heavy  and 
long  spurs,  thrown  out  from  that  range,  of  equal  height  or  greater.  It  is  crossed  from  west  to  east  and  nearly 
its  entire  territory  is  drained  by  the  waters  of  Green  river,  one  of  the  principal  tributaries  of  tbe  Broad.  Along 
this  river  valley,  as  well  as  on  some  of  the  tributaries,  are  wide  stretches  of  bottom  lands  of  clay  and  sandy  loams. 
The  middle  part  of  tbe  county  is  a  somewhat  broken  plateau  of  1,000  feet  elevation,  and  has  a  gravelly  and 
slaty  soil  of  a  light  color  and  loose  texture  and  low  fertility,  and  inferior  forests  of  pine,  oak,  and  chestnut.  The 
southeastern  section  is  of  the  same  character.  A  large  part  of  the  uplands  and  of  the  mountain  slopes  in  the  west 
and  north  has  forests  largely  of  oak  and  a  yellowish  or  gray  loamy  soil  of  good  quality.  In  the  higher  parts, 
except  where  the  soil  is  of  the  better  grades,  chestnut  and  chestnut  oak  are  abundant.  The  principal  agricultural 
pursuit  is  the  production  of  grain  crops,  cotton  being  a  new  crop  to  the  region,  and  as  yet  little  cultivated.  There  are 
several  gold  mines  in  the  middle  and  southern  sections.  Of  the  county  area,  12.78  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which 
7.83  per  cent,  is  planted  in  cotton.     Produce  is  shipped  south  by  rail. 


the;  transmontane  region. 

(Embraces  the  following  counties:  Alleghany,  Ashe,  Watauga,  Mitchell,  Yancey,  Madison,  Buncombe,  Henderson, 
Transylvania,  Haywood,  Jackson,  Macon,  Swain,  Graham,  Clay,  and  Cherokee.) 

ALLEGHANY. 

Population:  5,486. — White,  4,967;  colored,  519. 

Area:  276  square  miles. — Woodland,  74,S59  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  46,198  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  none;  in  corn,  7,201  acres;  in  wheat,  1,760  acres;  in  rye, 
3,121  acres;  in  oats,  1,933  acres;  in  buckwheat,  755  acres. 

Alleghany  county  ie  situated  on  the  Virginia  border,  and  is  bounded  southward  by  the  curves  of  Hie  Blue 
Eidge.  in  its  middle  section  is  a  parallel  and  higher  chain.  Its  entire  surface  is  drained  northward  into  the 
New  and  tbe  Kanawha  rivers,  this,  with  tbe  two  following  counties,  constituting  the  New  River  plateau  or  basin, 
the  only  part  of  the  state  drained  by  tbe  Ohio.  It  lies  on  tbe  northeastern  end  of  tbe  long,  narrow,  elevated 
transmontane  plateau,  and  has  an  average  elevation  of  not  less  than  2,800 feet.  Its  forests  are  of  oak,  chest  nut.  and 
pine,  with  an  admixture  of  white  pine  in  tbe  coves  of  tbe  Blue  Eidge  and  between  that  and  tbe  Peach  Bottom 
range.  Its  soils  are  the  common  gray  and  yellow  upland  loams.  Along  the  banks  of  the  New  river  and  its 
principal  tributaries,  especially  Little  river,  aie  considerable  tracts  of  bottom  lauds.  Its  agriculture  is  divided 
between  the  production  of  grains  and  grasses  and  cattle  raising.  Its  products  of  buckwbeat  and  rye  aie  next  to 
the  largest  in  the  state.     Of  the  county  area,  26.15  per  cent,  is  tilled  land.  CJ7 


66  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

ASHE. 

Population :  14,437.— "White,  13,471 ;  colored,  966. 

Area  :  370  square  miles. — Woodland,  166,973  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  70,207  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  none;  in  tobacco.  60  acres;  in  corn,  15,616  acres;  in 
wheat,  5,473  acres;  in  rye,  4,685  acres ;  in  oats,  3,357  acres;  in  buckwheat,  818  acres. 

Ashe  county  lies  in  the  northwestern  corner  of  the  state,  adjoining  the  states  of  Virginia  and  Tennessee, 
its  southeastern  edge  resting  upon  the  summits  of  the  Blue  Ridge  mountain  chain.  It  ia  very  rugged  and 
mountainous,  the  spurs  of  the  Smoky  mountains  being  thrust  out  almost  across  its  entire  territory  and  reaching 
at  various  points  an  elevation  of  nearly  5,000  feet,  giving  an  average  elevation  of  3,500  feet  above -tide.  It  is 
drained  by  the  two  forks  of  New  river,  which  meet  in  its  northeast  corner.  Its  forests,  soils,  and  agriculture 
resemble  those  of  Alleghany  county.  Grass  and  cattle  count  for  much  in  this  region,  and  rye  and  buckwheat  are 
its  common  crops,  as  well  as  of  Alleghany  and  the  whole  transmontane  plateau.  In  the  former  (rye)  this  county 
shows  the  largest  product  in  the  state,  and  in  the  second  it  is  nearly  equal  to  the  best.  White  pine  and 
hemlock,  as  well  as  poplar,  sugar  maple,  wild  cherry,  and  walnut,  become  important  constituents  of  the  forests  in 
many  places.     Of  the  county  area,  29.65  per  cent,  is  tilled  land. 

WATAUGA. 

Population:  8,160.— White,  7,746 ;  colored,  414. 

Area:  370  square  miles. — Woodland, acres. 

Tilled  lands :  44,753  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  10  acres ;  in  corn,  8,227  acres ;  in  wheat,  2,957  acres ;  in  rye, 
2,387  acres  ;  in  oats,  1,828  acres ;  in  buckwheat,  951  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  3  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.30  bale,  429  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  143  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Watauga  county  occupies  the  whole  breadth  of  the  narrower  part  of  the  transmontane  plateau,  being  bounded 
for  the  most  part  northwestward  by  the  Smoky  range  and  southeastward  by  the  Blue  Ridge.  It  is  traversed  in  a 
northerly  course  by  two  massive  cross-chains  connecting  the  summits  of  the  Blue  Ridge  and  Smoky  mountains,  the 
Rich  mountains  and  the  chain  of  Hanging  Rock  and  Beech.  Its  average  elevation  would  about  equal  that  of  Ashe 
county — 3,500  feet.  Its  whole  surface  is  fugged  and  mountainous,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  limited  tracts  along  the 
two  principal  rivers,  where  considerable  valleys  open  out,  with  occasional  stretches  of  bottom  lands.  The  soils  and 
forests,  as  well  as  the  predominant  agricultural  features  of  this  county,  are  like  those  of  Ashe  county.  There  is 
great  abundance  of  chestnut  in  its  forests,  and  on  the  Rich  mountains  there  are  great  quantities  of  linden  ( Tilia). 
Its  high  levels  and  benches  are  the  best  grass  lands  in  the  state,  and  in  consequence  cattle-raising  enters  largely 
into  its  agriculture.  It  also  produces  corn  and  small  grains  in  considerable  quantities,  including  wheat,  rye,  and 
buckwheat,  the  county  leading  in  the  last-named  crop.  Of  the  county  area,  18.89  per  cent,  is  tilled  laud,  of  which 
very  little  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

MITCHELL. 

Population :  9,435.— W7hite,  8,932  ;  colored,  503. 

Area :  401  square  miles. — Woodland,  105,586  acres. 

Tilled  lands :  31,975  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  15  acres;  in  tobacco,  77  acres;  in  corn,  11,894  acres;  in 
wheat,  3,374  acres;  in  rye,  1,358  acres;  in  oats,  3,990  acres;  in  buckwheat,  378  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  6  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.40  bale,  570  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  190  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Mitchell  county  is  a  continuation  of  the  southern  Appalachian  plateau,  and  with  Yancey,  the  next  county 
described,  occupies  the  basin  of  the  Nolechucky  or  Toe  river,  which  drains  the  highest  masses  and  summits  of  the 
Blue  Ridge  and  Black  mountains.  On  its  northern  border  the  Smoky  mountains  reach  an  elevation  of  6,4(:0  feet, 
while  the  Blue  Ridge,  which  forms  its  southeastern  boundary,  has  an  elevation  ranging  from  3,000  to  nearly  6,000 
feet.  Its  surface  is  for  the  most  part  very  mountainous,  and  has  an  elevation  which  would  probably  reach  an 
average  of  3,000  feet  above  the  sea. 

The  mountains  of  this  county,  as  well  as  those  of  the  other  parts  of  the  plateau,  are  generally  covered  with 
heavy  forests  of  oak,  chestnut,  and  pine,  with  a  mixture  here  and  there  in  the  coves  and  on  the  higher  slopes  of 
white  pine,  hemlock  (Abies  Canadensis),  and  black  birch,  wThile  the  lower  slopes  are  covered  with  linden  (two  species), 
sugar  maple;  poplar,  walnut,  cherry,  ash,  etc. 

The  soils  of  this  county  vary  in  their  texture  and  composition,  and  belong  to  the  general  region  of  oak  uplands 
soils,  being  for  the  most  part  gray  and  yellow  gravelly  and  sandy  loams,  with  occasional  strips  of  red  lauds.  The 
mountains  here,  as  in  the  two  preceding  counties,  are  generally  covered  to  their  summits  with  a  fertile  soil  and 
heavy  forests,  the  exception  being  some  of  the  higher  dome-like  masses  of  the  Smoky  mountains  (notably  the  Roan), 
which  are  bald  upon  their  summits,  and  are,  in  fact,  simply  prairies.  The  average  elevation  of  this  county  above 
the  sea  will  exceed  3,000  feet.  Its  agriculture  resembles  that  of  the  two  preceding  counties,  the  conditions  being 
well  adapted  for  the  most  part  to  cattle-raising,  as  well  as  to  the  production  of  grain  crops.  Tobacco  culture  has 
recently  been  introduced,  but  mica  mining  is  the  most  important  and  profitable  industry,  while  along  its  northern 
border  are  some  of  the  finest  iron-ore  beds  known.  The  first  southern  mica  mines  were  opened  here  in  1868.  Of 
the  county  area,  12.46  per  cent,  is  tilled  laud,  of  which  0.05  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 
598 


AGRICULTURAL  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  COUNTIES.  67 

YANCEY. 

Population:  7,694.— White,  7,369;  colored,  325. 

Area:  276  square  miles. — Woodland,  109,776  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  34,703  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  none;  in  tobacco,  84  acres;  in  corn,  11,200  acres;  in  wheat, 
3,940  acres ;  in  rye,  1,290  acres ;  in  oats,  3,657  acres. 

The  description  of  Mitchell,  the  preceding  county,  applies  to  Yancey.  It  completes  with  that  the  basin  of  the 
Toe  river  or  Noleckucky,  one  of  the  main  affluents  of  the  Tennessee  river.  The  massive  spur  of  the  Black  mountains 
rises  in  the  middle  of  its  southern  end  and  projects  northward  almost  to  its  center.  This  spur  reaches  an  elevation 
in  its  middle  portion  of  nearly  7,000  feet,  and  is  the  highest  mountain  east  of  the  Mississippi  river.  Between  this 
mountain  spur  and  the  Blue  Bidge  is  a  deep,  narrow  valley,  in  which  rises  and  flows  South  Toe  river,  while  on  its 
westward  flanks  rises,  in  a  similar  gorge,  Caney  river,  another  of  the.  confluents  of  the  Noleckucky.  The  county 
is  bounded  on  the  southwest  by  a  cross  chain  from  the  Blue  Bidge  to  the  Smoky  mountains,  the  northwest 
Black  mountains,  which  through  a  considerable  part  of  its  course  reaches  an  elevation  of  5,000  feet  and  upward. 
The  whole  territory  of  this  county,  therefore,  is  exceedingly  rugged  and  mountainous,  and  the  larger  part  of  its 
surface  is  adapted  only  to  grazing;  but  in  the  valleys  and  troughs  between  the  mountain  spurs  and  ranges  are 
considerable  stretches  of  undulating  and  hilly  land  and  occasional  tracts  of  considerable  extent  of  bottom  land, 
which  are  very  productive  in  corn  and  small  grains.  The  culture  of  tobacco  has  also  penetrated  into  this  county 
within  the  last  few  years.  The  tilled  land  occupies  19.65  per  cent,  of  the  county  area.  The  timbers  and  soils  are 
similar  to  those  of  Mitchell  county,  and  mica  mining  holds  here  a  similar  place  of  importance.  Above  5,000  feet  the 
principal  growth  on  the  Black  mountains  is  two  species  of  fir,  Abies  Fraseri  and  A.  nigra  (spruce).  These  trees 
are  also  found  on  the  summits  of  the  Boan  and  Grandfather,  and  farther  west  on  the  Balsam  mountains.  Lumber 
mills  have  multiplied  very  rapidly  in  the  great  forests  of  the  last  three  counties,  and  enormous  quantities  of  cherry, 
walnut,  ash,  sugar  maple,  and  poplar  lumber  have  been  manufactured  and  exported  in  the  last  year. 

MADISON. 

Population:  12,810.— White,  12,351;  colored,  459.  • 

Area:  457  square  miles. — Woodland,  157,618  acres. 

Tilled  lands  :  57,490  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  12  acres  ;  in  tobacco,  1,626  acres  ;  in  corn,  17,816  acres ;  in 
wheat,  7,702  acres;  in  rye,  816  acres;  in  oats,  4,23S  acres. 

Cotton  production :  4  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.33  bale,  474  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  15S  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Madison  county,  with  Buncombe,  Henderson,  and  Transylvania,  make  the  plateau  or  basin  of  the  French 
Broad  the  largest  of  these  natural  subdivisions  of  the  plateau.  It  is  bounded  northward  by  the  Smoky  mountains. 
Its  territory  is  also  very  rugged  and  broken,  being  not  only  surrounded  by  heavy,  massive  chains  of  mountains, 
but  crossed  and  cut  up  by  heavy  spurs  of  those  principal  chains.  Its  soils,  forests,  and  agricultural  productions 
are  like  those  of  the  preceding  counties,  except  that  bright  yellow  tobacco  has  recently  become  its  most  important 
crop,  and  already  nearly  reaches  a  million  pounds  per  annum.  It  has  also  a  larger  proportion  of  white  pine  in  its 
forests,  and  its  iron-ore  deposits  are  extensive  and  valuable.  Of  the  county  area,  19.66  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of 
which  0.02  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

BUNCOMBE. 

Population:  21,909.— White,  18,422;  colored,  3,487. 

Area:  614  square  miles. — Woodland,  226,454  acres. 

Tilled  lands :  77,62s  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  1  acre;  in  tobacco,  947  acres;  in  corn,  29,108  acres;  in  wheat 
17,501  acres;  in  rye,  2,966  acres;  in  oats,  6,967  acres;  in  buckwheat,  575  acres. 

Buncombe  county  occupies  the  middle  portion  of  the  French  Broad  valley.  Its  eastern  border  lies  upon  the 
summits  of  the  Blue  Bidge  and  the  Bbck  mountains,  and  its  western  upon  the  summits  of  the  cross-chain  called 
the  Newfound  mountains.  The  valley  of  the  French  Broad  here  is  a  wide,  open  basin,  with  considerable  tracts  of 
undulating  and  hi  ly  land  and  moderately  mountainous  tracts,  while  along  its  margin  on  every  side  are  heavy 
mountain  spurs.  The  forests  and  soils  are  of  the  usual  familiar  description,  and  the  agriculture  resembles  in  its 
main  features  that  of  the  Piedmont  division,  consisting  chiefly  of  the  production  of  grains,  of  which  the  total  is 
650,000  bushels,  and  to  a  moderate  (but  rapidly  increasing)  extent  of  tobacco.  Cattle  raising  occupies  a  subordinate 
position.  The  tilled  lands  occupy  19.75  per  cent,  of  the  county  area.  The  crossing  of  two  great  railroad  lines  at 
Asheville,  in  the  center  of  the  county,  gives  it  a  commanding  commercial  position,  and  it  is  the  center  of  a  great 
summer  travel.     The  average  elevation  of  the  French  Broad  plateau  is  about  2,500  feet. 

DENDEBSON. 

Population:  10,281.— White,  8,893  ;  colored,  1,388. 

Area  :  351  square  miles. — Woodland,  106,441  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  38,595  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  10  acres;  in  tobacco,  29  acres;  in  corn,  16,407  acres;  in 
wheat,  2,598  acres;  in  rye,  3,734  acres;  in  oats,  2,908  acres;  in  buckwheat,  107  acres. 

Cotton  production:  4  bales ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.40  bale,  570  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  190  pounds 
cotton  lint.  599 


68  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

Henderson  county  is  a  continuation  southward  of  the  French  Broad  valley  described  in  Buncombe  county, 
and  its  topographical  features  are  very  similar,  except  that  there  are  broader  areas  of  comparatively  level  and 
undulating  lands,  but  of  less  fertility,  the  soils  being  predominantly  light* gray  gravelly  loams,  and  its  forests  being 
mixed  growths  of  oak  and  pine,,  with  hemlock  and  chestnut.  Near  the  water-courses,  in  the  mountain  coves,  are 
found  walnut,  cherry,  maple,  and  occasionally  white  pine.  The  chief  productions  of  this  county  are  corn  and  small 
grains,  the  culture  of  tobacco  being  very  recently  introduced,  and  then  only  te  a  very  small  extent.  There  is  a  large 
aggregate  surface  of  bottom  lands  in  the  county,  those  on  the  French  Broad  being  very  extensive  aud  fertile.  Of 
the  county  area,  17.18  per  cent,  is  tilled  land,  of  which  0.03  per  cent,  is  cultivated  in  cotton. 

Transportation  is  southward  by  rail. 

TRANSYLVANIA. 

Population:  5,310.— White, -1,823  ;  colored,  517. 

Area:  382  square  miles. — Woodland,  77,815  acres. 

Tilled  lands :  17,967  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  none;  in  corn,  9,762  acres;  in  wheat,  S69  acres  ;  in  rye, 
3,2S9  acres ;  in  oats,  257  acres. 

Transylvania  county  occupies  the  upper  portion  of  the  valley  of  the  French  Broad,  and  lies  along  the  flanks 
of  the  Blue  Ridge  and  on  the  southern  border  of  the  state.  It  is  bounded  westward  by  a  heavy  cross-chain  from 
the  Blue  Ridge  to  the  Smoky  mountains,  the  Balsam  mountains,  which  rises  throughout  a  considerable  part  of  its 
course  above  6,000  feet.  This  county  is  therefore  the  most  elevated  portion  of  the  plateau  of  the  French  Broad. 
It  is  mostly  mountainous  and  rugged,  with  spurs  and  knobs  of  mountains  thrust  out  from  the  cross-chains  which 
bound  it.  There  are  very  extensive  tracts  of  bottom  lands  along  the  tortuous  course  of  the  French  Broad,  reaching 
often  a  breadth  of  1  or  2  miles,  which  are  very  fertile  and  produce  immense  crops  of  corn.  The  larger  portion  of  the 
county,  however,  is  only  adapted  to  grazing.  Its  forests  resemble  those  of  the  plateau  generally,  but  contain  a 
larger  intermixture  of  white  pine,  as  well  as  of  hemlock,  sugar  maple,  walnut,  and  cherry.  The  tilled  lauds  occupy 
7.35  per  cent,  of  the  county  area. 

HAYWOOD. 

Population:  10,271.— White,  9,7S7  ;  colored,  484.* 

Area:  582  square  miles. — Woodland,  115,632  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  40,474  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  none;  in  tobacco,  100  acres;  in  corn,  17,254  acres;  in 
wheat,  10,054  acres;  in  rye,  757  acres;  in  oats,  4,099  acres;  in  buckwheat,  633  acres. 

Haywood  county  occupies  the  plateau  or  basin  between  the  parallel  cross-chains  of  the  Newfound  and  the 
Balsam  mountains,  which  lie  at  right  angles  to  the  main  chains  (the  Blue  Ridge  and  Smoky)  at  an  average  distance 
from  each  other  of  about  20  miles. 

This  basin  is  drained  by  the  waters  of  Pigeon  river,  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  French  Broad,  which 
enters  it  beyond  the  Smoky  mountains  in  Tennessee.  This  county  is  hemmed  in  on  all  sides  by  high  mountain  chains 
of  3,000,  5,000,  and  6,000  feet  and  more  above  the  sea.  Its  territory  is  exceedingly  broken  and  rugged;  yet  there 
are  considerable  tracts  of  open,  moderately  hilly  lands  along  the  water  courses,  and  occasional  wide  stretches  of 
fertile  bottoms,  especially  on  the  upper  confluents  of  the  river  and  near  the  middle  of  the  basin.  The  average 
elevation  is  above  3,000  feet. 

The  soils  are  of  the  usual  description,  and  are  above  average  fertility.  It  is  one  of  the  best  grazing  sections, 
and  produces  all  the  grain  crops  of  the  region,  including  rye  and  buckwheat,  but,  as  yet,  little  tobacco.  The 
mountains  are  clothed  to  their  summits  with  forests  of  a  great  range  of  species.  On  the  lower  slopes  and  in  the 
rich  coves,  besides  the  usual  characteristic  oaks,  hickories,  cucumbers,  poplar,  chestnut,  etc.,  are  found  in  abundance 
walnut,  black  locust,  cherry,  and  ash,  and  a  little  higher  sugar  maple,  linden,  black  birch,  and  beech,  and  on  the 
highest  ranges  two  species  of  fir.  Since  the  advent  of  the  railroad  lumbering  is  rapidly  becoming  an  important 
industry.     The  tilled  land  occupies  10.S7  per  cent,  of  the  county  area. 

JACKSON. 

Population:  7,343.— White,  6,591 ;  colored,  752. 

Area:  532  square  miles. — Woodland,  136,317  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  2S,606  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  16  acres;  in  corn,  12,793  acres;  in  wheat,  4,217  acres;  in 
rye,  1,583  acres;  in  oats,  1,521  acres;  iu  buckwheat,  175  acres. 

Cotton  production  :  6  bales  ;  average  cotton  product  per  acre,  0.38  bale,  534  pounds  seed-cotton,  or  178  pounds 
cotton  lint. 

Jackson  county  is  quite  similar  to  Haywood  in  its  topographical  and  agricultural  features,  but  is  more  rugged, 
and  has  less  open  bottom  and  valley  land.  It  occupies  the  basin  of  the  Tuckasegee  river,  a  tributary  of  the 
Tennessee,  lies  west  of  the  Balsam  mountains,  is  bounded  by  the  Coweecross-chain  on  the  west  and  extends  south 
to  the  Blue  Ridge,  and  includes  a  high  plateau  beyond  it  of  nearly  100  square  miles,  with  an  elevation  of  from  3,500 
to  4,000  feet  above  sea-level.  The  county  is  well  adapted  to  the  production  of  grass.  The  soils,  forests,  and 
productions  are  like  those  of  Haywood.  Mica  is  mined  in  the  county  in  many  places,  and  gold  is  found  on  theplateau 
south  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  Of  the  county  area,  8.4  per  cent,  is  under  tillage,  and  of  this  0.06, per  cent,  is  in  cotton. 
A  railroad  has  been  recentlv  graded  across  the  county. 
coo 


AGRICULTURAL  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  COUNTIES.  69 

MACON. 

Population:  8,064.— White,  7,395;  colored,  669. 

Area:  539  square  miles. — Woodland,  170, 170  acres. 

Tilled  lands :  32,630  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  none;  in  tobacco,  46  acres ;  in  corn,  14,423  acres;  in  wheat, 
5,565  acres ;  in  rye,  1,823  acres ;  in  oats,  1,621  acres. 

Macon  county  occupies  the  valley  of  the  Tennessee  river,  which  flows  through  its  center  from  beyond  the 
Georgia  border,  on  the  south,  toward  the  Smoky  mountains.  This  is  a  wide,  open  valley,  along  which  are  considerable 
bodies  of  comparatively  level  and  hilly  lauds;  with  extensive  bottoms  along  the  river  and  its  principal  tributaries, 
recalling  in  its  general  features  the  basin  of  the  French  Broad,  though  much  less  extensive.  Tbe  county  is  better 
adapted  to  the  cultivation  of  grains  and  has  a  larger  area  capable  of  such  cultivation  than  the  neighboring  counties; 
but  a  large  part  of  its  territory  is  very  mountainous,  being  hemmed  in  ou  all  sides  by  high  mountain  ranges. 
Along  its  western  side  lies  the  massive  chain  of  the  Nantehaleh  mountains,  with  its  numerous  heavy,  ragged 
spurs,  and  on  the  western  margin  is  a  deep  canon,  drained  by  the  river  of  the  same  name.  There  are  two 
notable  plateaus  in  the  south  end  of  the  county  on  the  summit  of  the  Blue  Bidge,  one  on  the  headwaters  of 
the  east  fork  of  the  Tennessee,  and  the  other  on  those  of  the  Nantehaleh,  both  of  them  ranging  from  3,500  to 
4,000  feet  in  altitude. 

The  larger  part  of  the  area  of  the  county  is,  therefore,  better  adapted  to  grazing  than  to  anything  else.  The 
soils  and  forests  are  like  those  of  the  counties  above  described.  The  tilled  land  comprises  9.46  per  cent,  of  the  county 
area.  The  culture  of  tobacco  has  been  recently  introduced  to  a  small  extent,  and  mica  mining  is  carried  on 
extensively.  There  are  also  considerable  deposits  of  iron  ore,  and  the  only  extensive  or  profitable  corundum  mine 
in  this  country  is  found  here.  The  beautiful  red  marble  is  found  ou  the  Nantehaleh  river.  A  railroad  has  been 
recently  graded  across  the  northern  end  of  the  county. 

SWAIN. 

.  Population:  3,784.— White,  3,234 ;  coloied,  550. 

Area:  445  square  miles. — Woodland,  107,825  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  13,828  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  none;  in  corn,  6,809  acres;  in  wheat,  1,473  acres;  in  rye, 
515  acres ;  in  oats,  757  acres. 

Swain  county  lies  north  of  Ma_con  and  Jackson,  along  the  waters  of  the  Tennessee  river,  and  on  the  flanks  of 
the  great  Smoky  mountains  on  the  north,  which  here  reach  their  culmination  in  elevations  of  nearly  6,700  feet. 
With  the  exception  of  some  open  valley  tracts  near  its  center  along  the  before-mentioned  river  and  its  tributaries, 
the' territory  of  this  county  is  exceedingly  rugged  and  broken.  The  proportion  of  cultivable  land  is  very  small. 
It  is  heavily  timbered,  even  to  the  highest  summits  of  the  Smoky  mountains,  with  the  prevalent  mountain  forest 
growths.  The  higher  levels  of  the  Smoky  mountains,  about  5,000  feet  above  sea-level,  are  covered  with  forests 
of  firs,  while  the  more  elevated  coves  abound  in  white  pine  and  hemlock,  and  its  deep  gorges  and  lower  slopes  with 
maple,  poplar,  linden,  hickory,  chestnut,  buckeye,  walnut,  magnolias,  and  cherry.  The  summits  of  the  high 
mountains  furnish  fine  natural  pasturage,  and  grazing  has  always  been  the  chief  industry.  The  approach  of  the 
railroad,  which  has  been  graded  through  its  middle  section,  will  speedily  develop  an  extensive  lumber  interest. 
The  tilled  land  occupies  4.86  per  cent,  of  the  county  area. 

GRAHAM. 

Population:  2,335.— White,  2,123  ;  colored,  212. 

Area  :  307  square  miles. — Woodland,  49,767  acres. 

Tilled  lands :  8,212  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  none;  in  corn,  4,222  acres;  in  wheat,  718  acres;  in  rye,  566 
acres;  in  oats,  628  acres. 

Graham  county,  lying  south  of  the  Tennessee  river,  is  bounded  on  the  west  by  the  Smoky  mountains  and  on 
the  south  by  a  high  cross-chain  called  Long  Bidge.  It  resembles  Swain  county  very  closely  in  its  physical  as  well 
as  its  agricultural  features.  Its  forests  are  a  continuation  of  those  of  Swain,  except  that  the  mountains  here  do  not 
reacli  the  elevation  necessary  to  produce  the  fir.  There  is  some  open  valley  and  hilly  land  on  the  Cbeowah  river 
and  its  tributaries,  which  drains  most  of  its  surface.  Its  population  is  small,  and  its  agriculture  little  developed,  as 
there,  are  no  accessible  markets.  Its  soils  and  timber  are  capable  of  becoming  the  basis  of  thriving  industries  as 
soon  as  the  projected  Rabun  Gap  and  Knoxville  railroad  shall  be  completed.  The  tilled  land  occupies  4.18  per 
cent,  of  the  county  area. 

CLAT.  ♦ 

Population:  3,316. — White,  3,175  ;  colored,  141. 

Area:  1S9  square  miles. — Woodland,  60,606  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  15,063  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  none;  in  tobacco,  25  acres;  in  corn,  7,810  acres;  in 
wheat,  3,282  acres;  in  rye,  S54  acres;  in  oats,  1,230  acres. 

The  smaK  county  of  Clay,  lying  on  the  southern  border,  touches  the  state  of  Georgia,  and  is  bounded  on  the 
east  by  Macon  county,  which  it  resembles  very  closely  in  all  its  features,  physical  and  agricultural,  and  m  its 
development.  It  is  drained  in  a  westerly  direction  by  the  Hiawassee  river,  which  takes  its  rise  in  the  Blue  Bidge,  in 
Georgia.  Its  eastern  section  lies  upon  the  high  plateau  of  the  upper  Nantehaleh  river,  and  on  the  north  lies  the 
chain  of  the  Koneteh  mountains.  A  large  part  of  its  territory  is  very  mountainous.  It  has  line,  open  valley  lauds 
on  the  river  and  its  tributaries.  Its  southern  section  is  hilly,  somewhat  mountainous,  with  lair  agricultural 
capabilities.  Both  gold  and  mica  are  found,  but  have  not  been  mined  on  any  considerable  scale.  The  tilled  laud 
occupies  12.45  per  cent,  of  the  county  area.  601 


\ 


70  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

CHEROKEE. 

Population:  8,182.— Whites,  7,796;  colored,  386. 

Area :  470  square  miles. — Woodland,  149,150  acres. 

Tilled  lands:  28,003  acres. — Area  planted  in  cotton,  none;  in  tobacco,  42  acres;  in  corn,  14,507  acres;  in 
■wheat,  4,317  acres  ;  in  rye,  1,120  acres  ;  in  oats,  1,534  acres. 

Cherokee  county  occupies  the  extreme  western  corner  of  the  state,  of  which  it  includes  the  whole  breadth, 
at  this  point  less  than  20  miles.  It  is  bounded  in  part  on  the  north  by  the  Smoky  mountains,  and  touches 
the  states  of  Tennessee  and  Georgia  on  the  west  and  south.  For  the  most  part  it  resembles  Clay  county  in  its 
soils  and  agriculture.  The  valley  of  the  Valley  river  is  open  and  comparatively  level,  with  extensive  bottoms  and 
bordering  hilly  lands.  This  valley  is  nearly  20  miles  long  and  from  3  to  5  miles  broad,  and  contains  a  large  proportion 
of  tine  agricultural  lauds.  The  forests  resemble  those  of  the  neighboring  counties,  and  have  been  sufficiently 
described.  Its  agriculture  is  divided  between  the  culture  of  grains  and  grasses  and  cattle-raising,  and  mines  of 
gold,  iron,  and  soapstone  have  been  opened  and  wrought  for  many  years.  The  iron-ore  deposits  are  of  great  extent, 
and  there  is  a  great  variety  of  colored  marble  on  Valley  and  Nantehaleh  rivers  which  needs  only  transportation  to 
become  valuable.  The  tilled  lands  occupy  9.51  per  cent,  of  the  county  area. 
602 


PART    III. 


CULTURAL    AND    ECONOMIC    DETAILS 


OF 


COTTON  PRODUCTION. 


71 
C03 


REFERENCE  LIST 

OF 

NAMES  AND  ADDRESSES  OF  CORRESPONDENTS. 


SEABOARD  OR  TIDE-WATER  REGION. 

Pasquotank.— E.  W.  Hallowell,  Elizabeth  City,  February  10,  1880. 

Perquimans. — W.  Nixon,  Winfall,  January,  1880. 

Chowan. — L.  W.  Parker,  Small  Cross-roads,  January  6,  1880 

Tyrrell.— E.  Leigh,  Fort  Lauding,  February  24,  1880. 

Washington. — J.  P.  Newberry,  Plymouth,  January  7,  1880 

Beaufort.— R.  \V.  Wharton,  Washington,  January  10,  1880. 

Pamlico. — J.  S.  Lane,  Stonewall,  January  29,  1880. 

Craven. — C.  Duffy,  jr.,  New  Berne,  March  24,  1880  ;  J.  Humphrey,  New  Berne,  January  12,  1880. 

Carteret— k.  Oaksmith,  Hollywood,  February  23,  1880;  J.  H.  Becton.  Harlowe,  May  26,  1880. 

Jones. — H.  C.  Foscue,  Pollocksville,  February  15,  1880. 

New  Hanover.- — A.  R.  Black,  Wilmington. 

Brunswick. — W.  G.  Curtis,  Smithville,  January  9,  1880. 

Columbus. — D.  S.  Cowan,  Robeson,  January  15,  1880. 

LONG-LEAF  PINE  REGION. 

Gates.— 3.  J.  Gatling,  Gatlington,  March  10, 1880. 

Hertford.— D.  A.  Barnes,  Murfreesboro',  June  30, 1880. 

Bertie.— J.  B.  Cherry,  Windsor,  February  24, 1830 ;  E.  E.  Ethacidge,  Colerain,  April  3,  1880. 

Northampton. — J.  B.  MacRae,  Jackson,  July  23, 1880. 

Halifax.— J.  N.  Smith,  Scotland  Neck,  June,  1880 ;  R.  H.  Smith,  Scotland  Neck,  December  18, 1880  ;  J.  H.  Parker,  Enfield,  February  6^ 

1880. 
Martin.— William  Slade,  Williamston,  December  24, 1880  ;  J.  R.  Lanier,  Williamston,  May  10, 1880. 
Pitt,—W.  M.  B.  Brown,  Greenville,  April  15, 1880 ;  J.  Joyner,  Marlboro',  March  20, 1881. 
Greene— W.  E.  Best,  Snow  Hill,  January  20, 1830 ;  W.  P.  Grimsley,  Snow  Hill,  January  30, 1880. 
Edgecombe— W.  G.  Lewis,  Tarboro',  April  14, 1880  ;  J.  L.  Bridgers,  Tarboro',  March  27, 1880  ;   J.  J.  Battle,  Rocky  Mount,  April  15,  1880;. 

E.  Can-,  Old  Sparta,  January  13, 1880. 
Nash.— J.  M.  Mayo,  Whitaker's,  June  1, 1880. 
Wayne. — J.  Robinson,  Goldsboro',  January  28, 1880. 
Johnston. — E.  J.  Holt,  Princeton,  March  5,  1880. 
Harnett.— H.  C.  McNeill,  Lillington,  January  30, 1880. 

Moore. — J.C.Campbell,  M.  D.,  Carthage;  J.  M.  Joy,  Jonesboro',  April  15,1880. 
Cumberland.— O.  Evans,  Idaho,  January  1, 1880. 
Sampson.— A.  A.  McKay,  Clinton,  February  10, 1880. 

Duplin.— J.  B.  Oliver,  Faison's,  January  30, 1880 ;  J.  A.  Bryan,  Kenansville,  June  5,  1880. 
Bladen.— D.  A.  Lamont,  Brinkland,  February  2,  1830. 

OAK  UPLANDS  REGION. 

Granville.—  J.  W.  Hunter,  Kittrell's,  March  22,  1880;  S.  P.  J.  Harris,  Henderson,  February  6,  1880. 

Franklin. — B.  Burwell,  Louisburg. 

Wake— O.  W.  Shaffer,  Raleigh,  January  5,  1880. 

Orange— C.  W.  Johnston,  Chapel  Hill,  February  16,  1880. 

Alamance. — J.  A.  Graham,  Graham,  March  1,  1880. 

Guilford.— D.  W.  C.  Benbow,  M.  D.,  Greensboro',  January  29,  1880. 

Chatham.— J.  F.  Rives,  Pedlar's  Hill,  February  2,  1830;  R.  J.  Powell,  Pittsboro',  February  6,  1380;  J.  W.  Scott,Haywood,  January  1,  1880. 

Powan.—J.  G.  Ramsay,  Scotch  Ireland,  June  14,  1880. 

Cabarrus. — J.  McDonald,  Concord,  January  20,  1880. 

Anson. — W.  A.  Liles,  Wadesboro',  March 8,  1880. 

Union. — H.  M.  Houston,  Monroe,  January  30,  1880. 

Mecklenburg.— W.  E.  Ardrey,  Piueville,  February  18,  1830 ;  R.  I.  McDowell,  Charlotte,  March  25,  1880. 

Gaston.— J.  Stowe,  Lowell,  January  27,  1880. 

Lincoln. — W.  A.  Graham,  Iron  Station,  February,  1880. 

Cleareland.— E.  P.  Chambers,  Stice's  Shoal,  March  24,  1880;  J.  B.  Loga»,  Shelby,  March  2,  1880. 

Alexander.—  W.  P.  Burke,  Taylorsville,  June  24,  1880. 

72 

604 


SUMMARY  OF  ANSWERS  TO  SCHEDULE  QUESTIONS. 


This  part  of  the  report  embraces  a  summary  of  the  answers  given  to  each  question  or  group  of  questions 
included  in  schedules  sent  to  farmers  in  different  parts  of  the  cotton  region  of  the  state.  Forty-eight  of  the 
counties  in  which  cotton  is  growu  are  here  represented. 

When  a  special  auswer  is  given,  the  name  of  the  county  from  which  it  comes  is  put  in  italics,  and  separated 
by  semicolon. 

TILLAGE,  IMPROVEMENT,  ETC. 

1.  Usual  depth  of  tillage  (measured  on  land-side  of  furrow) :  What  draft  is  employed  in  breaking  up? 

From  3  to  6  inches  in  the  great  majority  of  counties  throughout  the  Chowan,  Beaufort,  Lincoln,  and  Moore.     The  draft  employed 

state.     From  2  to  3  inches  in  Perquimans,  Jones,  Columbus,  is  usually  one  or  two  horses  or  mules.     Beaufort:    Double 

Guilford,  Cabarrus,  and  Martin.     In  breaking  up,  8  inches  in  teams  on  large  farms. 

2.  Is  subsofling  practiced ?    If  so,  with  what  implements,  and  with  what  results  ? 

It  is  not  practiced  in  fourteen  counties  of  the  coaBt  and  long-leaf  prevalent.     Murphy's  subsoil  plow  is  used  in  several  counties  ; 

pine  regions  and  in  Granville  county,  of  the  oak  upland  region.  in  others  either  the  bull-tongue,  colter,  or  shovel  plow.    Ee- 

To  a  small  extent  in  all  other  counties  except  Beaufort,  Anson,  suits  are  excellent  everywhere  except  in  Orange,  Alamance, 

Union,  Edgecombe,  and  Harnett,  where  the  custom  is  more  Lincoln,  Halifax,  Martin,  Jone"s,  Moore,  and  Duplin. 

3.  Is  fall  plowing  practiced  ?    With  what  results? 

Not  at  all  in  Dare,  Carteret,  Jones,  Wake,  Northampton,  Greene,  counties,  especially  on  stiff  or  heavy  landin  Beaufort,  Halifax, 

and  Harnett;   very  little  in  twenty-six  counties,  and  to  a  and  Nash;  not  much  bettor  than  spring  plowing  in  Union, 

large   extent  in  the  rest.     Eesnlts  are  good  in  all  but  four 

4.  Is  fallowing  practiced  ?    Is  the  land  tilled  while  lying  fallow,  or  only  "  turned  out"? 

r 

In  twenty-eight  counties  fallowing  with  tillage  is  not  practiced,  lands  are  tilled  while  lying  fallow.     In  Chowan  only  "  turned 

the  land  only  being  "  turned  out ".     In  Granville,  Franklin,  out "  when  very  rough.     In  a  few  other  counties  fallowing  is 

Orange,  Guilford,  Eowan,  Cabarrus,  Alexander,  and  Pitt  the  practiced  to  a  small  extent.     Eesults  are  not  given. 

5.  Is  rotation  of  crops  practiced?    If  so,  of  how  many  years'  course,  in  what  order  of  crops,  and  with 
what  results  ? 

In  eighteen  counties  rotation  is  either  not  practiced  at  all  or  to  a  order  prevails ;  results  are  generally  good  for  cotton,  except 

very  small  extent,  cotton  being  planted  continuously  from  in  Alamance  and  Martin.     In  Guilford  corn  impoverishes  but 

year  to  year;  usually,  in  three  years'  course,  corn  and  small  wheat  improves  the  land.     In  Lincoln  cotton  is  planted  two 

grain   and  pease  or  potatoes  following  cotton.     NTo  regular  or  three  years,  and  then  corn  one  year. 

6.  What  fertilizers,  or  other  direct  means  of  improving  the  soil,  are  used  by  you,  or  in  your  region  ?     Is  green- 
xnanuihig  practiced?     With  what  results? 

The  use  of  commercial  fertilizers  is  reported  from  twenty-eight  some  of  the  counties  commercial  fertilizers  alone  are  thought 
counties,  and  in  ten  of  these  no  other  fertilizer  is  mentioned.  to  be  unprofitable  G-reen-manuring  is  not  practiced  to  any 
In  all  other  counties  composts  of  stable  manure,  with  other  extent  iu  twenty-four  counties;  in  others,  cow-pease,  grass, 
material,  such  as  leaves,  muck,  lime,  ashes,  cottonseed,  etc.,  and  sometimes  clover  are  turned  under,  and  yield  good  re- 
are  in  general  use.  Marls  are  put  on  the  land  in  Pamlico,  suits,  except  in  Duplin,  where  "there  is  no  marked  benefit". 
Craven,  Columbus,  Pitt,  Edgecombe,  Duplin,  and  Bladen.     In 

7.  How  is  cottonseed  disposed  of?     If  sold,  on  what  terms,  or  at  what  price?     Is  cottonseed-cake  used  with 
you  for  feed  ? 

In  thirty-six  counties  the  seed  is  used  or  sold  only  for  manure,  while  in  any  of  the  forty-three  counties  from  whence  answers  wore 

in  the  others  it  is  partly  fed  to  stock  for  feed.     Its  price  is  received,  except  Wake,  whore  very  little  is  fed  to  cows. 


from  10  to  12J  cents  per  bushel.     Cottonseed-cake  is  not  used 


73 
605 


74 


COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


PLANTING  AND  CULTIVATION  OF  COTTON. 

8.  What  preparation  is  usually  given  to  cotton  land  before  bedding  up  ? 


In  seven  of  the  counties  no  preparation  is  given  the  land  before 
bedding  up.  Iu  twenty-four  counties  spring  plowing  is  done  ; 
in  nine  counties  fall  or  winter  plowing  is  practiced  some- 
times.    The  old  stalks  are  usually  plowed  under.     St  iv  Han- 


over :  The  land  is  well  broken,  and  sometimes  subsoiled.. 
Moore:  Fall  plowing  is  best  for  stubble  land,  spring  plowing; 
for  hard  gravelly  land  ;  but  no  preparation  is  necessary  for  a, 
sandy  or  clay  soil. 


9.  Do  you  plant  in  ridges  ?    How  far  apart  ? 
Cotton  is  planted  iu  drills  only  in  Greene  county.     In  all  others 

ridges  are  usually  preferred.     A  distance  of  from  3  to  4  feet 

10.  What  is  your  usual  planting  time"? 

The  earliest  dates  given  are  Maxell  15  in  Carteret,  and  April  I  in 
Rowan,  April  10  iu  Pamlico  and  Cabarrus,  April  15  to  25  in 
thirty-one  counties,  May  1  in  eleven  counties,  and  May  15  jn 

11.  What  variety  do  you  prefer?     How  much  seed  is  used  per  acre? 


between  the  ridges  is  the  almost  universal  width,  Granville, 
Alamance,  Franklin,  and  Greene  alone  giving  a  less  distance. 


Union.     The  longest  planting  season  given  is  in  Carteret — 
March  15  to  June  1. 


There  are  fifteen  varieties  of  cotton  mentioned,  and  in  a  majority  of 
counties  no  preference  is  expressed  between  several  of  tho 
varieties.  The  Dixon  is,  however,  most  generally  planted,  its 
name  appearing  in  twenty-three  counties.  Tho  Johnson  is 
mentioned  six  times,  Boyd's,  Peeler,  and  Simpson  varieties 


three  times,  Sugar-Loaf  twice,  and  Matagorda  silk,  Clintoa, 
Petit  Gulf,  and  others  once  each. 
Iu  twenty-four  counties,  frouil  to  2  bushels;  in  seventeen  counties, 
sometimes  as  much  as  3  bushels ;  and  six  counties,  occasionally 
4  bushels.     Chowan:  From  one-half  to  1  bushel. 


12.  What  implements  do  you  use  in  planting  ?   Are  "  cottonseed  planters  "  used  iu  your  region  ?    What  opinion 
is  held  of  their  efficacv  or  convenience  I 


In  twenty-nine  counties  cotton-planters  are  used  either  of  some 
patent  or  home-made.  A  harrow  usually  precedes  the  planter, 
and  sometimes  a  drill  is  made.  Iu  other  counties  (fourteen) 
the  row  is  opened  with  a  plow,  the  soed  dropped  by  hand, 
and  covered  with  a  board  attached  to  a  plow-stock.     In   all 

13.  How  long  usually  before  your  seed  comes  up? 

For  favorable  season  the  time  is  put  at  from  3  to  5  days  in  fourteen 
counties,  from  6  to  8  days  iu  nineteen  counties,  9  to  10  days  in 
eight  counties,  14  days  in  Orange  and  Lincoln,  and  14  days,  if 
soaked  before  planting,  in  Alamance.  In  unfavorable  weather 

14.  At  what  stage  of  growth  do  you  thin  out  your  stand,  and  how  far  apart? 


but  five  counties  cotton-planters,  where  used,  are  in  grea, 
favor;  "they  save  labor,  are  convenient,  plant  regularly, 
and  economize  seed."  Anson :  Liked  where  land  is  not  too 
rough.     Columbus:  Not  entirely  reliable,  though  convenient. 


it  sometimes  is  from  21  to  30  days  before  the  plant  appears  ir> 
Perquimans,  Chowan,  Pamlico,  Carteret,  Cabarrus,  Lincoln, 
and  Pitt  counties. 


in  Pamlico.  One  or  two  plants  are  left  standing  at  from  12 
to  15  or  18  inches  apart  in  the  majority  of  counties ;  6  to  8* 
inches  iu  Wake,  Alamance,  Rowan,  Cabarrus,  Mecklenburg, 
Alexander,  and  Greene;  24  inches  in  Orange. 


In  twenty-eight  counties,  when  the  plant  is  well  up  or  from  2  to  4 
leaves  have  appeared,  or  when  from  3  to  6  inches  above 
ground.  When  plants  are  from  10  to  15  days'  old  in  Washing- 
ton, Brunswick,  Granville,  Orange,  Chatham,  Gates,  Harnett, 
and  Cumberland.    After  21  days  in  Bladen ;  when  6  weeks'  old 

15.  Is  your  cotton  liable  to  suffer  from  "  sore-shin"  1 
In  ten  connties,  mostly  iu  the  coast  region,  the  disease  is  not  known ; 
in  twelve  others  it  seldom  appears,  while  in  twenty-two  it  is 
very  prevalent.    Craven,  Granville,  and  Edgecombe :  Only  when 

10.  What  after-cultivation  do  you  give,  and  with  what  implements  1 

Northampton  and  Halifax:  Bar  off,  chop  out  grass  with  hoes,  then  usually  going  over  the  field  three  or  four  times  and  chopping; 
use  a  very  small  plow  to  throw  the  dirt  back  to  the  plant;  then  out  the  grass  between  plants  with  a  hoe.  Fourteen  counties- 
use  only  cotton  plows.  Martin  and  Nash :  Run  along  close  to  use  sweeps  and  hoes  only,  giving  a  shallow  cultivation., 
the  cotton  with  a  fine-toothed  harrow;  then  chop  out  and  Cleaveland :  Use  the  bull-tongue  -plow,  harrow,  and  hoe. 
side  up  with  a  sweep.  Hertford :    Use  cotton  plow,  weeding-hoe,  and  sweeps ;  work 

Twelve  counties  use  scraper,  turn-plows,  sweeps,  and  cultivators,  the  land  about  every  10  days. 

17.  What  is  the  height  usually  attained  bv  vour  cotton  before  blooming? 


bruised  with  the  hoe.  Washington,  Beaufort,  Wake,  Cabarrusr 
Mecklenburg,  Cleaveland,  Gates,  Bertie,  and  Bladen:  Iu  wet,  cold 
weather.     Pitt:  When  spring  winds  are  high. 


From  6  to  8  inches  in  Franklin  and  Harnett ;  from  12  to  18  inches 
in  most  of  the  other  counties.  Pasquotank,  Perquimans,  Dare, 
Beaufort,  New  Hanover,  Brunswick  (of  the  coast),  Pitt,  Cum- 

18.  When  do  you  usually  see  the  first  blooms  ? 

Beaufort,  Pamlico,  Craven,  Anson,  Mecklenburg,  Lincoln,  Wayne, 
Johnston,  and  Bladen  :  June 25  to  28.     All  other  counties  July 

19.  When  do  the  bolls  first  open? 

July  15   in   Wayne;  August  1,  Pamlico,   Carteret,  Franklin,  Poican, 
and  Cleaveland;  August  10  to  15,  in  Chowan,  Washington.  Beau- 
fort, Craven,  Gates,  Northampton,  Martin,  Nash,  Harnett,  Cum- 
60t> 


berland,  Sampson,  and  Bladen  (long-leaf  pine  region),  and* 
Orange,  Chatham,  and  Lincoln  (oak  uplands),  from  24  to  X; 
inches. 


1  to  10,  except  Columbus  and  Guilford,  where  August  and  Ser>- 
tember  are  given  as  the  dates. 


berland,  Bladen  Chatham,  Anson,  and  Gaston.  From  August  1&- 
to  September  1,  in  all  other  counties,  except  Columbus,  isa 
which  October  is  named. 


CULTURAL  AND  ECONOMIC  DETAILS.  75 


20.  When  do  you  begin  your  first  picking  ? 

September  1  in  Chowan,  Washington,  Beaufort,  Carteret,  Craven,  and  counties.     From  September  15  to  October  1  in  all  other  coun- 

Brunsiviek  (coast  region),  Gates,  Martin,  and  Wayne  (long-leaf  ties,  except  Columbus,  in  which  the  first  picking  is  made  in 

pine),  Franklin,  Orange,  Chatham,  Cabarrus,  Anson,  Gaston,  and  the  latter  part  of  October. 
Cleaveland  (oak  uplands) ;  September  10  to  15  in  twenty-one 

21.  How  many  pickings  do  you  usually  make,  and  when?    Do  you  ordinarily  pick  all  your  cotton ? 

Two  pickings  in  Chowan,  Pamlico,  and  Guilford;  four  in  Wake,  other  counties  during  September,  October,  and  November,  or 

Cabarrus,  Northampton,  and  Duplin,  in  September,  October,  from  two  to  four  weeks  apart.     In  all  of  the  counties,  except 

November,  and  December.     Three  pickings   usually  in  all  Bladen,  the  cotton  is  usually  all  gathered. 

22.  At  what  date  does  picking  usually  close? 

November  1  in  Guilford;   November  15  in  Dare;    December  1  in  December  10  or  15  in  sixteen  counties;  from  December  15  to 

Washington.  Franklin,  Orange,  Alamance,  Chatham,  Union,  January  1  in  all  others. 
Cleaveland,  Pitt,  Wayne,  Harnett,  Sampson,   and  Bladen ; 

23.  At  what  time  do  you  expect  the  first  "black  frost"  ? 

October  1  in  Alexander ;  October  10  or  15  in  Beaufort,  Craven,  Car-  burg,  Gaston,  Lincoln,  Cleaveland  (oak  uplands) ;  from  Oc- 

teret,  New  Hanover  (coast  region),  Bertie,  Martin,   Greene,  tober  15  to  November  1  in  nineteen  counties;  November  10 

Edgecombe,  Nash,  Harnett  (long-leaf  pine),  Granville,  Frank-  or  15  in  Pamlico,  Columbus,  Northampton,  and  Bladen, 
lin,   Orange,    Alamance,   Chatham,   Anson,  Union,  Mecklen- 

24.  Do  you  pen  your  seed-cotton  in  the  field,  or  gin  as  the  picking  progresses? 

In  no  county  is  it  reporced  as  penned  in  the  field.     In  fourteen  counties  cotton  is  ginned  as  the  picking  progresses.     Anson: 

counties  it  is  housed  mostly  in  the  gin-house  until  each  pick-  Large  planters  gin  as  picking  progresses;  others  only  when 

ing  is  over,  or  till  time  can  be  had  for  ginning.     In  all  other  convenient. 

GINNING,  BALING,  AND  SHIPPING. 

23.  What  gin  d®  you  use?    How  many  saws  ?    What  motive  power?     How  much  clean  lint  do  you  make 
in  a  day's  run  of  10  hours?     Which  mechanical  "power"  arrangement  do  you  prefer  with  horse-power? 

There  are  14  different  gin  patents  in  use  in  the  state  as  far  as  re-  Georgia  gin  of  30  saws,  with  3  mules,  will  make  2,000  pounds;  35 

ported.     Of  these  the  Brown  is  mentioned  in  25  counties,  the  saws,  with  2  mules,  1,200  pounds  ;  40  saws,  with  water,  1,500 

Georgia  in  12,  the  Hall  in  B,  the  Taylor  in  4,  Emery  in  3,  and  pounds ;  50  saws,  with  mules,  from  1,000  to  2,000  pounds ;  50 

others  in  1  or  2  counties  each.     These  are  the  Carver,  Needle,  saws,  with  10  horse-power  engine,  5,000  pounds;  60  saws,  with 

Carolina,  Carter,  Clements,  Griswold,  Rowland,  Massey,  and  water,  3,000  pounds. 

Excelsior.    The  number  of  saws  vary  from  40  to  100  in  each  gin.  Hall's  giu  of  50  or  CO  saws,  with  steam,  from  3,000  to  4,000  pounds. 

The  motive  power  is  steam,  water,  and  horses  or  mules;  but  a  The  Needle  gin  of  50  saws,  with  8  horse-power  engine,  2,000  pounds; 

preference  for  steam  is  reported  in  16  counties,  for  water  in  5  50  saws,  with  10  horse-power  engine,  5,000  pounds. 

counties,  and  for  mules  in  1  county.    The  following  capacity  of  Rowland's  Carolina  gin  of  50  saws,  with  water-power,  4,000  pounds. 

each  gin  in  ten  hours' run  with  the  different  powers  is  given:  Emery's  gin  of  50  saws,  with  steam,  from  3,000  to  4,000  pounds;  50 

Brown's  gin  of  40  saws,  with  4  horse-power,  steam,  will  make  1,875  saws,  with  water,  2,500  pounds. 

pounds  ;  40  saws,  with  12  horse-power,  steam,  4,000  pounds;  Taylor's  giu  of  40  saws,  with  horse-power,  1,000  pounds. 

45  saws,  with  hor3e-power,  1,600  pounds;  50  saws,  with  horse-  Asa  "power"  arrangement  with  mules  or  horses  we  prefer  that 

power,  1,600  pounds  ;  50  saws,  with  steam,  from  2,000  to  4,000  made  here;  it  has  a  large  driving-wheel,  cog-gearing,  and 

pounds;    60  saws,  with  water,  3,125  ponuds;  70  saws,  with  band-wheel  (Pasquotank). 

water,  3,500  pounds. 

26.  How  much  seed-cotton,  on  an  average,  is  required  for  a  475-pound  bale  of  lint  ? 

In  most  of  the  counties  1,425;  sometimes  1,310  in  Columbus,  Pasquo-  Halifax;  1,545  in  New  Hanover  and  Gates;    1,660  in  Wake 

tank,  and  Edgecombe  ;  1,450  in  Alamance  ;  1,485  in  Pamlico,  and  Orange. 
Craven,  Cleaveland.  Northampton,  and   Harnett ;    1,515  in 

27.  What  press  is  generally  used  in  your  region  for  baling?     What  is  its  capacity  ? 

In  many  of  the  counties  home-made  screws  are  in  use.     There  are  fif-  pass,  Hart's,  and  Southern  Standard.     Their  capacity  is  from 
teen  patented  iron  screw  presses  reported,  Ball's  and  Brooks'  10  to  15  bales  per  day,  or  about  1  bale  per  hour.     "The  Cot- 
being  mentioned  six  times  each,  Cockade  three  times,  and  ton  King  will,  with  three  men,  pack  a  bale  in  ten  minutes", 
the  following  once  or  twice  each  :  Caldwell,  Centennial,  Dixie,  (Harnett). 
Boss,  Roanoke,  Godwin's,  Eclipse,  Beasley,  Cotton  King,  Com- 

28.  Do  you  use  rope  or  iron  ties  for  baling?     If  the  latter,  what  fastening  do  you  prefer?     What  kind  of 
bagging  is  used  in  your  region? 

Iron  ties  only  are  used  throughout  the  state,  with  arrow,  buckle,  Gunny  bagging  is  used  in  thirteen  counties.     Jute,  double  anchor 

and    anchor   fastenings.     The    arrow    is   the    most    popular  and  arrow,  Kentucky,  Dundee,  and  Standard  are  used  in  other 

fastening.  counties;  also  the  "  domestic",  manufactured  at  Richmond. 

29.  What  weight  do  you  aim  to  give  your  bales?  Have  transportation  companies  imposed  any  conditions 
in  this  respect  ? 

Fonr  hundred  pounds  in  Brunswick,  Alamance,  and  Cumberland;  Cleareland:  The  Carolina  Central  railroad  averages  bales  at 

from  450  to  500  pounds  in  all  other  counties.     In  most  of  the  400  pounds.     Sampson:  Extra  charges  are  made  for  over  500 

state  "no  conditions"  are  imposed.    Xew Hanover, Nash,  Bali-  pounds  weight.     Mecklenburg,  Greene,  Wayne:  $1  is  deducted 

fax,  Duplin :  Additional  freight  is  charged  if  over  450  pounds.  from  the  price  of  each  bale  below  400  pounds  weight. 

607 


76 


COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


DISEASES,  INSECT  ENEMIES,  ETC. 

30.  By  what  accidents  of  weather,  diseases,  or  insect  pests  is  your  cotton  crop  most  liable  to  be  injured  ?    At 

what  dates  do  these  several  pests  or  diseases  usually  make  their  appearance  ?     To  what  cause  is  the  trouble  attributed 

by  your  farmers  '? 

The  caterpillar  appears  in  ten  counties  of  the  coast  region  ;  in  Pitt, 
Nash,  Johnston,  Sampson,  and  Bladen,  of  the  long-leaf  pine  re- 
gion ;  and  in  Guilford  and  Rowan,  of  the  oak  uplands.  It 
usually  comes  in  August  and  September  in  these  counties, 
except  in  Beaufort  and  Johnston.  There  it  appears  in  Octo- 
ber, too  late  to  do  any  damage.  Lincoln  :  The  caterpillar  has 
been  here  twice  in  fifteen  years,  coming  late  in  the  season 
and  doing  as  much  good  as  harm  by  eating  the  leaves,  thus 
letting  in  the  sun  and  causing  cotton  to  open. 

The  boll-worm  is  only  reported  in  Perquimans,  Jones,  Pitt,  Har- 
nett, Bladen,  Guilford,  and  Rowan  counties,  and  usually  ap- 
pears in  August. 

The  cut-worm  causes  damage  in  Pitt  and  Duplin  counties  in  May. 

Cotton-lice  in  Pasquotank,  Carteret,  Pitt,  Edgecombe,  Wayne,  and 
Johnston  counties  in  Juno  aud~July. 

Shedding  causes  much  damage  in  all  of  the  counties  except  New 
Hanover,  Columbus,  Alamance,  Union,  Gaston,  and  Wayne, 
where  no  mention  is  made  of  it.  It  is  generally  attributed  to 
droughts  after  excessive  rains  in  the  spring. 


Rot  of  bolls  is  complained  of  in  all  of  the  counties  except  Perqui- 
mans, Pasquotank,  Carteret  (coast  region),  Gates,  Hertford, 
Northampton,  Pitt,  Nash,  Wayne,  Johnston,  Harnett,  Duplin 
(long-leaf  pine  region),  Granville,  Franklin,  Cabarrus,  An- 
son, Lincoln,  Cleaveland,  and  Alexander  (oak  uplands).  It  is 
usually  attributed  to  wet  weather.  Moore:  Caused  by  water 
penetrating  the  holes  made  by  the  boll-worm. 

Rust  is  reported  in  all  of  the  counties  except  Dare,  Carteret,  Gran- 
ville, Lincoln,  Alexander,  and  Martin.  It  is  usually  attributed 
to  "  bad  weather".  Union:  Cold  nights  followed  by  heavy 
dews.  Halifax:  Black  rust  in  wet  and  red  rust  in  dry  sea- 
sons, and  attributed  to  bad  drainage,  cold  nights,  heavy  dews, 
and  want  of  fertilizers.  Pitt,  Anson,  and  Duplin  :  To  want  of 
manure,  potash  in  vegetable  matter  in  the  soil.  Moore:  To 
unsuitable  soils.  Sampson  :  A  want  of  salt  in  the  manure. 
Beaufort :  On  badly  drained  and  poor  land,  or  in  soils  having 
too  much  iron. 

Blight  is  reported  from  only  nineteen  counties,  attributed  mostly  to 
bad  weather. 


31.  What  efforts  have  been  made  to  obviate  the  trouble,  and  with  what  success? 


None  in  twenty  counties. 

High  fertilization,  good  culture,  and  thorough  drainage  is  practiced 
against  rust  and  shedding  in  Perquimans,  Beaufort,  Gates, 
Hertford,  Bertie,  Martin,  Pitt,  Greene,  and  Moore,  with  fair 
success  in  most  cases.  Beaufort  and  Graven :  Wood  ashes 
are  used  against  rust.  Craven  :  Acid  phosphate  to  keep  bolls 
from  rotting.  Carteret:  Lime  and  salt,  with  some  success. 
Anson:  Subsoiling  for  shedding  and  potash  for  rust,  with  in- 


different success.  Lincoln:  Deep  plowing  against  rust.  Hali- 
fax :  Ditching  and  application  of  vegetable  matter,  except  for 
rust,  against  which  no  remedy  has  been  found.  Edgccomhe : 
Ditching  and  kainit,  also  marling,  greatly  modifies  black 
rust.  Nash  :  Salt  and  sulphate  of  potash  produce  line  results. 
Duplin:  Rotation  of  crops,  fallowing,  and  applying  vegetable 
matter,  or  using  muriate  of  potash,  from  30  to  50  pounds  per 
acre,  with  other  mauure,  meet  with  marked  success. 


32.  Is  rust  or  blight  prevalent  chiefly  on  ill-drained  soils  ? 
which  soil  described  by  you  are  they  most  common! 

Coast  region  :  Most  common  on  the  heavy  and  ill-drained  soil  of  the 
low,  blaek'swamp  land  in  cool  and  wet  weather,  in  Pasquo- 
tank, Chowan,  Washington,  Beaufort,  and  Carteret.  Most 
common  when  land  is  poorest  after  heavy  cool  rains  in 
Tyrrell  and  Brunswick ;  on  heavy  and  ill-drained  soils  in 
wet,  hot  seasons  in  Jones;  on  ill-drained  gray  loam  soil  with 
clay  subsoil  in  New  Hanover.  ''I  have  seen  it  in  low,  -wet 
bottoms,  and  within  3  feet  of  a  ditch  in  wet  and  dry  seasons, 
and  hot  and  cool  "weather"  (Perquimans). 

Long-leaf  pine  region  :  On  ill-drained  soils  in  all  the  counties.  In 
wet  and  cool  seasons  in  nine  counties;  in  "wet  and  hot  seasons 


Do  they  prevail  chiefly  in  wet,  cool  seasons'?    On 


common  on  lowlands  in  five  counties,  and  on  light  sandy  soils 
with  stiff  clay  subsoils  in  most  of  the  region.  Moore:  The 
farmers  of  the  red  sandstone  region  nearly  all  affirm  that 
their  cotton  is  not  much  subject  to  rust,  disease,  or  other  peat. 
Oak  uplands:  On  ill-drained  soil;  sometimes  on  heavy  clay  soils; 
sometimes  on  light  sandy  soils  wilh  an  impervious  subsoil ; 
on  black-jack  oak  soil  in  Cabarrus.  On  the  red  or  hickory 
soils  (Gaston),  "which  sutlers  all  the  ills."  In  wet  and  hot 
seasons  in  Anson  ;  dry  and  hot  seasons  on  land  where  stable 
manure  has  been  applied  alone  in  Lincoln;  wet  and  cool 
seasons  in  other  counties. 


in  three  counties;  in  dry  and  cool  in  three  counties.     Most 

33.  Is  Paris  green  used  as  a  remedy  against  the  caterpillar;  if  so,  how,  and  with  what  effect? 

Craven :  Yea ;  sprinkled  ever  the  plants  with  good  success.     Bruns-  caterpillar  is  not  troublesome.     Paris  green   has 

wick:  Yes,  but  with  poor  effect.     New  Hanover:  Yes,  but  the  used  in  any  other  county  to  any  extent. 


not   been 


LABOR  AND  SYSTEM  OF  FARMING. 

34.  What  is  the  average  size  of  farms  or  plantations  iu  your  region  ?     Is  the  prevalent  practice  "mixed 
farming"  or  "  planting"? 

Coast  region:  From  1  to  20  acres  in  Dare;    from  60  to  200  iu 

Chowan,  Pasquotank,  Jones,  and  Carteret;  150  iu  Beaufort; 

from  30  to  300  in  Craven  :    from  50  lo   500  iu  Perquimans, 

Tyrrell,  and  Pamlico  ;  from  100  to  1,000  in  Washington.     The 

practice  is  entirely  "mixed  farming". 
Long- leaf  pine  region:   From  30  to  GO  acres  in  Gates,  Moore, 

Martin,  and  Sampson  :  from  50  to  150  in  Hertford.  Greene, 

Harnett,  and  Bladen ;  from  300  to  500  acres  in  other  counties. 

The  practice  is  altogether  "mixed  farming".  • 
C03 


Oak  uplands:  From  50  to  100  acres  in  Orange,  Chatham,  Anson, 
Union,  Gaston,  and  Alexander;  from  50  to  200  in  Franklin, 
Alamance,  Guilford,  Rowau,  Cabarrus,  and  Cleaveland; 
from  50 to  300  in  Granville.  Wake,  Mecklenburg,  and  Bertie; 
from  50  to  C, 500  acres  in  Lincoln.  The  practice  is  "mixed 
farming",  except  in  Wake,  where  "planting"  is  chiefly 
done. 


CULTURAL  AND  ECONOMIC  DETAILS.  77 

35.  Are  supplies  raised  at  home  or  imported,  and  if  the  latter,  where  from  f    Is  the  tendency  toward  the 
raising  of  home  supplies  increasing  or  decreasing  ? 

Brunswick,    Wake,  Bertie,  and  Northampton:   Mostly  imported  from  etc.     In  all  other  counties  supplies  are  mostly  raised  at  home. 

Baltimore  and  Cincinnati.    Carteret  and  Hertford:  Aboutone-  Some  bacon  is  purchased  elsewhere.     The  tendency  toward 

/half  raised  at  home.     Gaston  and  Edgecombe:  Partly  at  home.  raising  home  supplies  is  increasing  in  all  of  the  counties  ex- 

Nash  :  We  import  a  great  deal  of  meat,  flour,  sugar,  corn,  tea,  cept  Rowan  and  Anson,  where  it  is  said  to  be  "stationary". 

36.  Who  are  your  laborers  chiefly  ?  whites,  of  what  nationality  I 

In  Chowan  county  alone  white  laborers  predominate.     In  twenty-  the  rest  the  laborers  are  thought  to  be  about  evenly  divided 

seven  counties  negro  laborers  are  most  numerous,  while  in  between  the  two  races. 

37.  How  are  their  wages  paid;  by  the  year,  month,  day;  and  at  what  rates?    When  payable? 

In  a  majority  of  the  counties  of  the  state  laborers  receive  from  $8  from  30  to  40  cents  per  day,  or  $75  per  year.  Women  and  chil- 

to  810  per  month,  and  from  §80  to  §100  per  year,  with  rations,  dren  receive  usually  about  $5  per  month,  with  board.  Wages 

house,  and  fuel,  or  from  40  to  50  cents  per  day,  without  rations.  are  usually  paid  at  the  end  of  a   specified  time,  either  the 

In  others  the  rates  are  from  §6  to  $8  per  month,  with  rations,  mouth,  week,  or  day ;  sometimes  when  cotton  crops  are  sold. 

38.  Are  cotton  farms  worked  on  shares  ?    On  what  terms !    Are  any  supplies  furnished  by  the  owners  ? 

The  share  system  is  in  general  practice  throughout  the  cotton  coun-  for  the  laborer,  and  one-half  of  any  fertilizers  that  may  be  used, 

ties,  the  counties  of  Alexander,  Pasquotauk,  and  Guilford  the  crop*  is  equally  divided  between  the  owner  and  laborer, 

alone  reporting  "  no  ",  while  a  few  reply  "to  some  extent".  For  land  alone,  without  supplies,  the  owner  receives  one-third 

When  the  owner  furnishes  all  necessary  supplies,  except  food  of  the  coru  and  one-fourth  of  the  cotton. 

39.  Does  your  system  give  satisfaction  ?    How  does  it  affect  the  quality  of  the  staple  ?    Does  the  soil 
deteriorate  or  improve  under  it? 

It  does  not  give  satisfaction  in  Perquimans,  Craven,  Jones,  Guilford,  is  not  affected  in  other  counties.     The  soil  is  not  affected  in 

Harnett,  and  Bladen.     "Hardtosay"  in  Pamlico,  Franklin,  Perquimans,  Alexander,and  Pitt;  "improves  if  properly  rna- 

and  Edgecombe.     "  Yes  "  in  all  the  others.  nured  and  cultivated"  in  eleven  counties,  but  "deteriorates" 

The  staple  is  improved  in  Washington  ;  is  not  so  good  in  Gates,  and  in  all  others. 

40.  Which  system  (wage  or  share)  is  the  better  for  the  laborer,  and  why? 

Pamlico,   Craven,  Granville,  and  Pitt :   But  little  difference  either  negroes  are  extravagant,  exercise  no  forethought,  and   need 

way,  as  they  accumulate  but  little.     Greene:  Shares  for  the  intelligent  direction  ;  they  need  not  run  in  debt ;  their  condi- 

married  and  wages  for  the  single,  because  the  former  make  tion  requires  a  regular  income. 

more  and  the  latter  are  idle  less.  Shares  in  eleven  counties :  Laborers  are  provided  for  during  winter 

Wages  in  thirty-one  counties  for  following  reasons :  Laborers  re-  months  ;  they  spend  wages  as  fast  as  obtained.     They  can 

ceive  cash  monthly;   are  better  clothed  and  fed;  cultivate  make  more  with  proper  work;  gives  a  living  at  home  and 

with  better  judgment  and  have  fewer  failures  in  crops,  and  children  can  be  made  useful;  take  better  care  of  the  crop  and 

crops  are  not  neglected ;  for  them  there  are  no  contingencies ;  are  less  wasteful. 

41.  What  is  the  condition  of  the  laborers  ? 

In  thirty-four  counties  "good"  and  mostly  improving.     In  eight  demoralized.     Sampson:  Happy,   if  let  alone  by  politicians, 

counties  "poor".     Gaston  :  Not  good,  but  truly  happy.     Lin-  Jones  :  Not  as  good  as  we  would  wish.     Hertford:  Live  well, 

coin  :  Improved  some,  but  not  much.     Wayne  :  Considerably  but  are  improvident. 

42.  What  proportion  of  negro  laborers  own  land,  or  the  houses  in  which  they  live? 

Columbus:  About  90  per  cent.     Dare:   About  two-thirds.     Tyrrell  Oneintwenty.     Chowan,  Franklin,  Onion,  Pitt,  Edgecombe,  and 

and  Beaufort:  One-fourth.     Craven  and  Chatham:  One-fifth.  Wayne:    One   iu   fifty.       Pasquotank,    Perquimans,   Alamance, 

Gaston,  Greene,  Sampson :  One  in  eight  or  ten.    Pamlico,  Wake,  Roivan,  Johnston,  and  Duplin  :   "  One  in  a  hundred."     In  other 

Cleaveland,  Alexander,  Martin,  Moore,  Cumberland,  and  Bladen:  counties,  "very  few." 

43.  What  is  the  market  value  of  the  land  described  in  your  region  ?    What  rent  is  paid  for  such  land  ? 

Coast  region  :  Perquimans,  Chowan,  Pamlico,  and  Jones:  From  $10  and  Gaston:  Value,  from  $10  ti>  $20  and  $30  per  acre ;  rents, 

to  $15  and  $20  value  ;  from  $3  to  $5  as  rent  per  acre.     Pas-  from  $2  to  $5  per  acre.     Franklin,  Orange,  Alamance,  Rowan, 

quotank,   Washington,  Beaufort,  New  Hanover,  and  Columbus:  Cabarrus,  Lincoln,  and.  Alexander :  Value,  $5,  $7,  $8  and  upward; 

Value,  from  $5  to  $8  and  upward ;  rent,  from  $2  to  $5  per  acre.  other  counties,  from  $2  to  $4  and  upward.     Rents,  from  $2  to 

In  other  counties  valueB  and  rents  from  $2  and  upward.  $4  per  acre. 

Long-leaf  pine  REGION:  Pitt,  Greene,  Edgecombe,  and  Cumberland:  In  all  of  the  cotton  counties  portions  of  the  crop  are  taken  as  rent. 

Value,  from  $10  to  $20 ;  other  counties,  from  $2  to  $7  and  up-  (See  No.  41.)     Franklin  :  800  pounds  lint  cotton  for  25  or  30 

ward.     Rents,  from  $1  50  to  $5  per  acre.  acres. 

Oak  uplands  regions:   Granville,  Wake,  Anson,  Union,  Mecklenburg, 

44.  How  many  acres,  or  400-pound  bales,  per  "  hand  "  is  your  customary  estimate  ? 

From  10  to  15  acres  of  cotton,  besides  the  same  amount  of  land  iu  or  from  8  to  10  if  cotton  alone  is  planted.     For  picking  this 

other  crops;  or  from  25  to  30  acres  alone  iu  cotton.     The  num-  amount  extra  bands  have  to  be  employed.     Iu  Craven,  Gran- 

berof  bales  of  cotton  varies  according  to  the  character  of  land  ville,  Anson,  Gates,  Bertie,  Moore,  Cumberland,  and  Sampson 

cultivated,  but  is  usually  from  5  to  7  bales  with  other  crops,  but  3  or  4  bales  are  estimated  per  hand  with  other  crops. 

45.  To  what  extent  does  the  system  of  credits  or  advances  upon  the  growing  cotton  crop  prevail  in  your  region? 

Very  little  iu  Columbus,  Guilford,  Chatham,  and  Alexander.     To  a  do  not  clear  enough  one  year  to  enable  them  to  grow  the  next 

considerable  extent  in  Brunswick,  Rowan,   Anson,  Union,  year's  crop.  The  system  is  "  blue  ruin  "to  the  farmor.  Craven: 

Cleaveland,  Cumberland,  and  Duplin.     Not  too  much  in  Pam-  The  merchants  and  others  who  furnish  supplies  take  advantage 

lico.  To  valueof  one-half  of  thecropon  anaverage  in  Carteret,  by  charging  extortionate  prices.     Lincoln:  Not  much  among 

Franklin,  Mecklenburg,  and  Wayne.      Only  for  fertilizers  in  those  farmers  doing  their  own  work,  but  is  almost  universal 

Alamance.  In  other  counties  the  system  prevails  to  a  greatex-  among  those  who  hire.     Edgecombe,  Pitt,  Beaufort:  The  prac- 

tent,  and  in  several  "almostuniversallv".  Wake:  Most  farmers  tice  is  decreasing  every  year. 

39   C   P— VOL.    II  609 


78 


COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


46.  At  what  stage  of  its  production  is  the  cotton  crop  usually  covered  by  insurance?      Is  such  practice 
general  ? 

From  March  to  November  iu  Gaston.     It  is  generally  insured  when  Jones,  Martin,  Pitt,  Moore,  and  Cumberland  ;  when  ready  for 

in  tbe  gin-house  in  Franklin,  Edgecombe,  and  Sampson,  and  shipment  in  a  few  counties,  but  not  at  all  in  the  others  until 

sometimes   in    Pasquotank,   Perquimans,  Chowan,    Craven,  the  cotton  has  passed  out  of  the  hands  of  the  fanner. 

47.  What  are  the  merchants'  commissions  and  charges  for  storing,  handling,  shipping,  insurance,  etc.,  to 
which  your  crop  is  subject  I     What  is  the  total  amount  of  these  charges  against  the  farmer  per  pound  or  bale  ? 


Commissions,  from  24  to  3  per  cent. ;  storage,  25  cents  per  month  ; 
wharfage,  20  cents;  weighing,  from  10  to  15  cents;  drayage, 
10  cents  in  New  Hanover,  15  eeuts  in  Carteret,  63  cents  in  Hal- 
ifax ;  handling,  30  cents  in  Hertford,  75  cents  in  Halifax ; 
insurance,  i  per  cent,  in  New  Hanover,  25  cents  iu  Carteret, 
Franklin,  Gates,  and  Nash ;  50  cents  iu  Hertford ;  total 
charges,  about  1  cent  per  pound  to  reach  Baltimore  or  New 


York,  or  from  £  to  I  cent  per  pound  to  Norfolk,  including 
freight  from  Beaufort  and  Pasquotank;  1  cent  to  Norfolk,  and 
H  cents  per  pound  to  New  York  from  Pitt,  Edgecombe,  and 
Nash  ;-to  Wilmington  from  Columbus  county.  Si  50  per  bale. 
In  other  counties  the  usual  estimate  is  $2  per  bale,  excepl  at 
local  markets,  where  farmers  sell  direct  to  buyers,  and  avoid 
other  charges  than  weighing,  or,  perhaps,  commission. 


4S.  What  is  your  estimate  of  the  cost  of  production  in  your  region,  exclusive  of  such  charges,  and  with  fair 
soil  and  management? 


From  5  to  6  cents  per  pound  in  Chowan,  Carteret,  Bertie,  Gaston, 
and  Duplin  ;  from  7  to  8  cents  in  twenty-four  counties  ;  from 
8  to  9  cents  iu  eight  counties;  10  cents  in  Dare,  Pamlico, 
Granviile,  and  Gates;  $5  per  acre  in  Guilford;  §10  in  Alexan- 
der; $12  in  Granville;  2  per  cent,  in  Perquimans;  from  50  to 
60 per  cent,  in  Rowan. 

Alamance:  Scents  per  pound;  at  10  cents  it  pays  better  than  corn 
at  SI  per  bushel. 

1878.     Dr. 
To  preparing  ground,  planting  seed,  putting  in  fertilizers, 

bringing  to  a  stand,  hoeing,  and  cultivation §99  65 

To  cost  of  fertilizers  (cash) 110  97 

To  picking  21,984  pounds  of  seed-cotton 98  01 

To  interest  on  capital 72  00 

To  taxes 8  00 

To  bagging  and  ties 14  00 

To  transportation 10  00 


Less  the  value  of  seed 


412  63 

56  25 


Cabarrus  (a):  Determined  to  ascertain  what  it  cost  a  pound  to  grow 
cotton,  I  commenced  in  1878  to  keep  an  accurate  field  ac- 
count. To  be  certain  that  the  year  1878  was  not  an  excep- 
tional year  as  to  cheapness  of  labor,  etc.,  I  continued  the 
account  the  following  year.  Tbe  quantity  of  laud  in  cultiva- 
tion was  22  acres  and  over;  the  same  tract  both  years.  The 
preparation  of  the  ground  and  after  cultivation  was  prob- 
ably more  thorough  than  are  usually  given  for  this  crop. 

1878.     CR. 
By  7,087  pounds  baled  cotton  sold 637   83 


Net  profit 281  45 

Items. 

Cost  of  cotton  per  pound,  5.  3  cents. 

Expense  per  acre,  exclusive  af  fertilizers $11  63 

Net  return  per  acre 12  32 

Average  price  received  per  pound,  9  cents. 
Yield  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  999.  8  pounds. 


356  38 
1879.     Dr. 

To  preparing  ground,  putting  in  fertilizer,  planting,  bring- 
ing to  a  stand,  hoeing,  and  cultivation $97  34 

To  40  bushels  seed,  at.  12A  cents  per  bushel 5  00 

To  fertilizers  (cash) 92  12 

To  blacksmithing 3  00 

To  picking  22,013  pounds  of  seed-cotton 90  69 

To  bagging  and  ties 15  00 

To  interest  on  capital 72  00 

To  taxes 8  00 

To  transportation 10  00 


Less  the  value  of  seed. 


393  15 
56  25 

336  90 


It  will  be  observed  from  an  examination  of  the  foregoing  statements 
that  the  cost  per  pound  iu  growiug  cotton  must  depend  upon 
the  yield  per  acre;  that  the  product  per  acre  is  the  measure 
of  the  planter's  profit;  thatthe  cost  of  cultivation,  etc.,  of  an 
acre  is  the  same  when  yielding  500  pounds  or  less  of  seed- 
cotton,  as  when  yielding  1,000  pounds  or  more,  saving  the 
additional  cost  of  picking,  which  is  fully  counterbalanced 
by  the  gain  in  seed,  and  that  there  can  be  no  profit  when  the 
product  of  an  acre  fails  to  realize  the  farmer  or  planter  more 
than  $12. 

Cost  of  picking  :  The  usual  price  paid  is  50  cents  per  100  pounds 
without  board,  or  40  cents  with  board.  Beaufort :  In  the  first 
of  the  season,  when  cottonseed  is  heavy,  the  price  paid  is  40 


1879.     Cr. 
By' 7,317  pounds  baled  cotton  sold 813  19 


Net  profit 476  29 

Items. 
Cost  per  pound,  4*  cents. 

Expense  per  acre,  including  fertilizers $15  32 

Profit  per  acre .- 21  65 

Average  price  received  per  pound,  11. 11  cents. 
Yield  of  seed-cotton  per  acre,  1,  OOO^J  pounds. 


cents;  iu  the  middle  of  the  pickiug  season,  50  cents;  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  season,  when  cotton  and  seed  are  light,  from 
60  ceuts  to  $1  per  100  pounds.  The  average  amount  picked  is 
140  pounds.  Duplin :  An  ordinary  hand  can  average  about 
100  pounds  per  day ;  under  favorable  circumstances  some 
pick  as  much  as  200  pounds.  It  is  usual  to  pick  the  cotton 
fields  over  two  or  three  times,  which  is  one  reason  why  as 
much  is  not  gathered  as  farther  south.  Alamance:  Hands 
are  paid  50  cents  per  100  pounds  with  board,  or  75  cents 
without  board.  An  ordinary  hand  can  pick  only  100  pounds 
per  day.  Northampton  :  An  ordinary  hand  can  only  pick  75 
pounds  of  cotton  per  daj 


610 


a  The  estimate  from  Cabarrus  county  was  made  by  C.  McDonald,  of  Concord. 


/ 


INDEX    TO    COTTON    PRODUCTION    IN    NORTH 

CAROLINA. 


Page. 

Abstracts  of  the  reports  of  correspondents 30-64 

Accidents  of  weather  as  affecting  cotton  crops 76 

Acreage  and  production  of  cotton  (tables)  3-6 

leading  crops - 5,6 

Acres  of  cotton  per  hand 77 

Addresses  and  names  of  correspondents,  list  of 72 

Advances  made  on  growing  crops 77 

After-cultivation  of  cotton 74 

Agricultural  descriptions  of  the  counties 27-70 

regions,  enumeration  and  general  surface  fea- 
tures of IS 

Alamance  county,  statistics  and  descripl  ion  of 60,  61 

Alexander  county,  statistics  and  description  of 63,64 

Alleghany  county,  statistics  and  description  of 65 

Amount  of  charges  against  the  farmer  in  sales  of  cotton 78 

Angola  bay,  character  and  location  of 37, 46 

Analyses  of  gray  sandy  soils 19 

gum  and  cypress  swamp  lands 13, 14 

level  piny- woods  land 17, 18 

marls 22, 23 

oak  and  hickory  upland  soils 19, 20 

piny-woods  upland  soils 17 

pocoson  and  savanna  soils 15 

semi-swarups,  oak,  beech,  and  pine  flats 13-16 

of  soils,  by  whom  made iii,24,25 

tables  of  soils  and  subsoils 14, 15, 17, 19,24,  25 

Anson  county,  statistics  and  description  of 53, 54 

Answers  to  schedule  questions,  summary  of 73-7- 

Aphides  (Itce)  on  cotton-plant 76 

Archaean  formation,  occurrence  of 11,12 

Ardrey,  W.  E.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 57 

Area  of  the  cotton  culture  extended  since  1870 22 

eastern  topographical  division 10 

long-leaf  pine  region 15 

midland  division 10 

mountain  division 10 

Piedmont  division lu 

sea-board  region 12 

state 9 

population,  tilled  lands,  and  cotton  production  of  the 

counties  (table) 2,4 

Ashe  county,  statistics  and  description  of 66 

Average  population  per  square  mile  (table) 3,4 

size  of  farms  or  plantations 76 

B. 

Bagging  used  in  baling  cotton 75 

Bale,  amount  of  seed-cotton  required  to  make  a  (see  abstracts 

in  county  descriptions) 30-64 


Page. 

Bales,  number  of,  in  regions  (table) 21 

per  acre  in  couuties,  number  of  (table) 3,4 

hand,  usual  working  estimate  of 77 

weight  of 75 

Baling  cotton,  kinds  of  presses  used  in 75 

Banks  of  the  coast,  character  of  the 13 

Banner  counties,  having  highest  total  cotton  production  and 

product  per  acre  (table) 21 

rank  of,  in  other  regards 21 

Barnes,  D.  A.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 46 

Battle,  J.  J.,  remarks  of 43 

Bear  swamp,  extent,  soil,  and  growth  of 31 

Beaufort  county,  analyses  of  soils  of 14, 15 

statistics  and  description  of 33,  34- 

Becton,  J.  H.,  mention  of 35 

Benbow,  Dr.  D.  W.  C,  abstract  of  the  report  of 60' 

Bertie  county,  statistics  and  description  of 4C 

Best,  W.  E.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 43, 44 

Black,  A.  E.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 37 

Black  frost,  first  appearance  of ...         75 

Bladen  county,  analysis  of  soil  of 14 

statistics  and  description  o(L 49 

Blight  or  rust  as  affecting  cotton,  and  how  obviated 76 

Blooms  first  appear,  when 74 

Blue  Eidge,  elevation  of 9 

Boiling  favored  and  running  to  weed  of  cotton-plants  pre- 
vented by : 

application  of  fertilizers  or  lime 31,32,34,36,37,39,40, 

44,48,49,54,59 

closer  planting 59 

deep  cultivation 56 

plowing 45, 58 

early  cultivation 31,34,39,42 

marling 35, 42 

thinuing  out  the  plants 53 

thorough  drainage 35,  36, 39,  42,  45,  56 

subsoiling 56 

topping 30,  31 , 3.2, 33, 40,  41, 47,  49, 50, 51, 53, 54 

Bolls  first  open,  when 74 

Boll-worm,  appearance  of 76 

Bottom  lands  of  the  oak-uplands  region 18 

Bridges,  J.  L.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 42,43 

Brown,  W.  M.  B.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 43 

Brunswick  county,  analyses  of  soils  of ." 14 

statistics  and  description  of 38 

BryaB,.J.  A.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 46 

Buncombe  county,  statistics  and  description  of 67 

Burke  county,  statistics  and  description  of 64 

Burke, "W.  I'.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 64 

Bur  well,  B.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 50 

611 


80 


INDEX  TO  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


c. 

Page. 

Cabarrus  county,  analyses  of  soil  and  subsoil  of 19 

statistics  and  description  of 56 

Caldwell  county,  statistics  and  description  of 64 

Camden  county,  statistics  and  description  of 30 

Campbell,  Dr.  J.  C,  abstract  of  the  report  of 48 

Carr,  E.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 42,  43 

Carteret  county,  analyses  of  soils  of 14 

statistics  and  description  of 35,  30 

Caswell  county,  statistics  and  description  of 61 

Catawba  county,  statistics  and  description  of 57 

Caterpillar,  appearance  of 76 

Chambers,  E.  P.,  description  by 59 

Charges  for  storing,  handling,  and  shipping  cotton 78 

Chatham  county,  statistics  and  description  of 52, 53 

Cherokee  county,  statistics  and  description  of 70 

Cherry,  J.  B.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 40 

Chowan  county,  statistics  and  description  of 31,32 

Clay  county,  statistics  and  description  of 69 

Cleaveland  county,  statistics  and  description  of 59 

Climate  of  the  state 10, 11 

Close  of  the  cotton-picking  season .« 75 

Coast  bordered  by  continuous  sand-dunes 13 

character  of  the  banks  of  the 13 

Columbus  county,  analysis  of  soil  of 14 

statistics  and  description  of 38 

Commissions  of  merchants  in  sales  of  cotton 78 

Composts,  use  of 73 

Condition  of  laborers 77 

■Conditions  imposed  by  transportation  companies 75 

Corn,  acreage  and  production  of  (table) 5,6 

Correspondents,  names  and  addresses  of 72 

Cost  of  cotton  production 78 

Cotton,  acreage  and  production  of  (tables) 3-0 

per  square  mile  (table) 3,  4 

average  amount  of,  picked  in  a  day 78 

lint  made  in  a  day's  run  of  ten  hours 75 

picking,  cost  of 78 

pickings,  when  begun,  and  how  many  made 75 

production ,  cost  of  per  pound 78 

cultural  and  economic  details  of 71-78 

distribution  of,  among  the  several  regions  21, 22 

general  remarks  on 21, 22 

increase  of,  since  1870 22 

in  each  county  (see  county  descriptions).  27-70 

region  (table) 21 

of  the  long-leaf  pine  lands 16 

sea-board  region 13 

per  acre  (see  county  descriptions) 27-70 

percentage  of  state's  total,  in  each  region 

(table) 21 

rank  of  the  state  in 21 

relation  of  white  and  colored  population 

to 22 

product  per  acre  in  counties  (table) 3, 4 

regions,     and    maximum    of,    in 

counties  (table) 21 

of  long-leaf  piue  lands 10 

oak-uplands  region  soils 19 

on  any  soil  and  on  fresh  and  old 
lauds  (see  abstracts  in  county  de- 
scriptions)    30-04 

shipments  (see  county  descriptions) 27-70 

total  of  lint  and  seed,  in  tone,  in  each  region  (table) . .  21 

Cottonseed-cake  used  for  feed  and  manure 73 

disposal  and  price  of 73 

planters,  use  of 74 

variety  and  amount  of,  used  per  acre 74 

Counties,  agricultural  descriptions  of 27-70 

area,  population,  tilled  lands,  and  cotton  produc- 
tion of  (table) 3,4 

012 


Page. 

Counties,  comparison  of,  regarding  cotton  production 21,22 

in  each  region  having  highest  cotton  production 

(table) 21 

of  the  long-leaf  pine  region,  descriptions  of 39-49 

transmontaue  region,  descriptions  of 05-70 

County  descriptions  of  oak-uplands  or  raetamorphic  region..  50-65 

Cowan,  D.  S.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 38 

Craven  county,  analysis  of  marl  of 22 

soil  of 15 

statistics  and  descriptiou  of 34,  35 

Cretaceous  formation,  material  of 11 

Crop,  advances  made  on  growing 77 

Crops,  acres  of,  in  each  county  (see  county  descriptions) 27-70 

best  suited  to  the  soil  (see  abstracts  in  county  descrip- 
tions)    3H-04 

leading,  acreage  and  production  of  (table) 5, 0 

of  the  long-leaf  pine  region 18 

oak-uplands  region 19 

sea-board  region 13 

transmontaue  region 20 

Cultivation  and  planting  of  cotton 74,  75 

Cultural  and  economic  details  of  cotton  production 71-78 

Cumberland  couuty,  statistics  and  description  of 47 

Currituck  county,  statistics  and  description  of 29 

Curtis,  W.  G.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 38 

Cut-worm,  appearance  of 76 

Cypress  and  gum  swamp  lauds,  analyses  of 14 

l>. 

Dare  county,  statistics  and  description  of 32 

Davidson  county,  statistics  and  description  of 55 

Davie  county,  statistics  and  description  of 62 

Depth  of  tillage  usual  in  cotton  production 73 

Descriptions,  agricultural,  of  the  counties 27-70 

Details,  cultural  and  economic,  of  cotton  production 71-78 

Diseases,  insect  enemies,  etc.,  of  cotton 76 

Dismal  swamp 12,  31 

Disposal  of  cottonseed 73 

Dover  pocoson  of  Craven  county,  extent  and  character  of. . .  35 

Drayage,  charges  for 78 

Duffy,  jr.,  C,  abstract  of  the  report  of 35 

Duplin  county,  statistics  and  description  of 46 

E. 

Eastern  topographical  division,  area  and  general  surface  fea- 
tures of 10 

Economic  and  cultural  details  of  cotton  production 71-78 

Edgecombe  county,  analyses  of  soil  and  subsoil  of 17 

statistics  and  description  of 42,43 

Effect  of  the  share  system  on  the  soil  and  staple 77 

Efforts  made  to  obviate  diseases  and  pests 76 

Elevations  of  the  state 9, 10 

Enumeration,  tabulated  results  of  the 1-6 

Eocene  formation,  material  of 11 

Estimate  of  the  cost  of  cotton  production 78 

number  of  bales  of  cotton  per  hand 77 

Etheridge,  E.  E.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 40 

Evans,  O.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 47 

F. 

Fallowing  and  fall  plowing,  results  of 73 

Farming  and  labor,  system  of 76-78 

Farms,  size  of 76 

Fastening  used  in  baling  cotton,  kinds  of 75 

Feed,  cottonseed-cake  used  as 73 

Fertilizers,  effect  of,  on  cotton  production 22 

remarks  on  the  use  of 22 

Fertilizing  and  green-manuring 73 

Fisheries  of  the  sea-board  region 13 

Forsyth  county,  statistics  and  description  of 62 

Foscue,  H.  C,  abstract  of  the  report  of : ..  36 


/ 


INDEX  TO  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


81 


Page. 

Franklin  couuty,  statistics  and  description  of 50 

Freight,  rates  of  shipment  of  (see  county  descriptions) 27-70 

Frost,  first  appearance  of 75 

a. 

Gaston  county,  statistics  and  description  of 58,59 

Gates  county,  statistics  and  description  of 39 

Gatling,  J.  J.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 39 

Geological  features  of  the  state. 11, 12 

Ginning,  baling,  and  shipping  cotton 75 

Gins,  cotton,  list  and  capacity  of 75 

Graham  couuty,  statistics  and  description  of 69 

Graham,  J.  A. ,  abstract  of  the  report  of 61 

Graham,  W.  A. ,  abstract  of  the  report  of 58 

Granville  county,  statistics  and  description  of 51 

Gray  sandy  soils,  analyses  of 19 

Greene  county,  statistics  and  description  of 43,  44 

Green-manuring  and  fertilizing 73 

Greensand  beds,  occurrence  of 18 

Green  swamp,  description  of 38 

Grimsley,  W.  P.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 43,  44 

Guilford  county,  statistics  and  description  of 60 

Gum  and  cypress  swamp  lands,  an  aly ses  of 14 

H. 

Halifax  county,  analyses  of  so*l  and  subsoil  of 17 

analysis  of  marl  of 22 

statistics  and  description  of 41 

Hallowell,  C.  W.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 30 

Harnett  county,  statistics  and  description  of 47,  48 

Harris,  S.  P.  J.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 51 

Haywood  county,  statistics  and  description  of 68 

Height  attained  by  cotton-plant  before  blooming 74 

of  cotton-plant  (see  abstracts  in  county  descriptions).  30-64 

Henderson  county,  statistics  and  description  of 67,68 

Hertford  county,  analysis  of  marl  of 22 

statistics  and  description  of 40 

Hilgard,  Professor  E.  W.,  discussion  of  soils  by 15, 18,20 

Holly  Shelter  pocoson,  description  of 37 

Holt,  E.  J.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 45 

Home  supplies 77 

Horizontalizing  to  arrest  washing  of  the  soil  (see  abstracts  in 

county  descriptions) 30-64 

Houston,  H.  SI.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 54 

Humphrey,  J.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 35 

Hunter,  J.  W.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 51 

Hyde  county,  analyses  of  soils  of    14 

statistics  and  description  of 33 

I. 

Implements  employed  in  subsoiling 73 

used  in  after-cultivation  of  cotton 74 

planting  cotton 74 

Improvements,  tillage,  etc.,  details  of 73 

Insect  enemies,  diseases,  etc.,  of  cotton 76 

Insuring  cotton,  practice  of  and  charges  for 78 

Iredell  county,  statistics  and  description  of 57 

Iron  ore,  beds  of 58 

Islands  of  the  coast,  sand-dune  character  of 13 

Itemized  cost  of  cotton  production  78 

J. 

Jackson  county,  statistics  and  description  of 68 

Johnston  county,  analyses  of  soils  and  subsoil  of 17 

statistics  and  description  of 44,45 

Johnston,  C.  W.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 52 

Jones  county,  analysis  of  soil  of 14 

statistics  and  description  of 36 

Joy,  J.  M.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 48 

Joyner,  J.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 43 

K. 

King's  mountain,  location  and  elevation  of 58 


Page 

Labor  and  system  of  farming 76-78 

Laborers,  best  system  for 77 

condition  and  nationality  of 77 

owning  houses  or  land 77 

Lakes  and  swamps  of  t Hk  sea-board  region 12 

Lamont,  D.  A.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 49 

Lands  lying  "turned  out",  proportion  of  (see  abstracts  in 

county  descriptions) 30-64 

market  value  of  and  rents  paid  for 77 

of  the  sea-board  region  resemble  the  prairie  land  of 

the  northwest 12 

preparation  given  to,  before  planting  cotton 74 

proportion  of,  in  cotton  for  each  soil  (see  county  de- 
scriptions in  the  respective  regions)  27-70 

Lane,  J.  S.,  abstract  of  the  report  of    34 

Lanier,  J.  R.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 44 

Leigh,  Eph.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 32 

Lenoir  county,  analyses  of  marl  of 22 

analysis  of  soil  of  17 

statistics  and  description  of 45,  46 

Letters  of  transmittal iii 

Level  and  rolling  upland  piny-woods  soils,  timber  growth  of.  16 

Lewis, W.  G.,  remarks  of 43 

Liles,  W.  A.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 54 

Lincoln  county,  statistics  and  description  of 57, 58 

Lint  per  acre  in  counties  (table)  3,4 

tons  of,  in  state  and  regions  (table) 21 

List  of  names  and  addresses  of  correspondents 72 

Logan,  J.  B.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 59 

Long-leaf  pine  region,  area,  subdivisions,  and  general  charac- 
ter of 15-18 

cotton  production  of 21 

county  descriptions  of 39-49 

Lousin  swamp,  lands  of 43 

M. 

McDonald,  C,  estimate  by,  of  cost  of  cotton  production 78 

McDonald,  J.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 56 

McDowell  county,  statistics  and  description  of 65 

McDowell,  E.  I. ,  abstract  of  the  report  of 57 

McKay,  A.  A.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 47 

McNeill,  H.  C,  abstract  of  the  report  of 48 

Macon  county,  statistics  and  description  of 69 

Macrae,  J.  B.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 41 

Madison  county,  statistics  and  description  of 67 

Manure,  cottonseed-cake  used  as 73 

Marl  beds  of  the  long-leaf  pine  belt   18 

Marls,  occurrence  and  analyses  of 22,23,37-47,49 

Martin  county,  statistics  and  description  of 44 

Mayo,  J.  M.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 42 

Mecklenburg  county,  analyses  of  soil  and  subsoil  of 19 

statistics  and  description  of 56, 57 

Merchants'  commissions  on  sales  of  cotton 78 

Metamorphic  formation,  extent  of 11, 12 

or  oak-uplands  region 18-20 

Midland  topographical  division,  area  and  surface  features  of  10 

Minerals,  variety  aud  number  of 12 

Miocene  formation,  material  of 11 

Mitchell  county,  statistics  and  description  of 66 

Mixed  farming  or  planting 76 

Montgomery  county,  statistics  and  description  of 53 

Moore  county,  statistics  and  description  of 48 

Mountains,  elevations  of 10 

treeless  summits  of 20 

Mountain  topographical  division,  area,  elevation,  and  sur- 
face features  of 10 

Muck,  occurrence  of 23 

IV. 

Nash  county,  statistics  and  description  of 42 

Nationality  and  condition  of  laborers Tl 

613 


82 


INDEX  TO  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


Page. 


Negroes,  condition  of,  and  proportion  of,  owning 
land 

Newberry,  J.  P. ,  abstract  of  the  report  of 

New  Hanover  county,  analyses  of  marls  of 

statistics  and  description  of. 
Nixon,  W.,  abstract  of  the  report  of. 


houses  or 


33 
22 
37 

31 

Northampton  county,  statistics  and  description  of 40,  41 

Number  of  cotton-pickings  made 75 

O. 

Oaksmith,  A.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 35,  36 

Oak-uplands  or  metamorphic  region,  county  descriptions  of  .  50-65 

region,  cotton  production  of 21 

soils,  timber  growth,  and  general  features 

of 18-20 

Oats,  acreage  and  production  of  (table)  5,6 

Oliver,  J.  B.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 46 

Onslow  county,  statistics  and  description  of 86, 37 

Open  Ground  Psairre  swamp,  location  and  description  of 35 

Orange  county,  statistics  and  description  of 52 

P. 

Pamlico  county,  analyses  of  soils  of 14 

statistics  and  description  of 34 

Paris  green  used  as  a  remedy  against  the  caterpillar 76 

Parker,  J.  H.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 41 

Parker,  L.  W. ,  abstract  of  the  report  of 31 ,  32 

Pasquotank  county,  statistics  and  description  of 30 

Pender  county,  analysis  of  soil  of 15 

marls  of 37 

statistics  and  description  of 37 

Perquimans  county,  statistics  and  description  of 30, 31 

Person  county,  statistics  and  description  of 61 

Picking  of  cotton  begins  and  closes,  when 75 

price  paid  for 78 

Piedmont  topographical  division,  area  and  surface  features  of  10 

Pine  flats,  soils  and  timber  growth  of 16 

Piny-woods  upland  soils,  analyses  of 17 

Pitt  county,  analyses  of  soil  and  subsoil  of 17 

analysis  of  marl  of 22 

statistics  and  description  of 43 

Planting  and  cultivation  of  cotton,  details  of 74,75 

cotton,  time  of 74 

Plateaus,  elevations  of 10 

Pocosons,  character,  timber  growth,  and  analyses  of  ..  ..12, 15,  33-38 

Polk  county,  statistics  and  description  of 65 

Population,  average,  per  square  mile  (table) 3,  4 

in  regisns  (table) 21 

.                   of  the  state  and  counties  (table) 3,4 

Powell,  R.  J.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 53 

Power  used  in  ginning  cotton 75 

Preparation  given  to  cotton  lands 74 

Presses  used  in  baling  cotton,  kinds  of 75 

Prevalence  of  the  credit  system 77 

Price  paid  for  cottonseed 73 

Production  and  acreage  of  leading  crops  (table) 5,  6 

Proportion  of  negro  laborers  owning  land  or  houses 77 


Quaternary  formation,  material  of 11 

Questions,  summary  of  answers  to  schedule 73-78 

B. 

Kainfall  of  the  state 11 

Kamsay,.J.  6.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 55 

Randolph  county,  statistics  and  description  of 60 

Ra»es  of  transportation  (see  abstracts  in  county  descriptions)  30-64 

Eating  of  the  staple  (see  abstracts  in  county  descriptions)...  30-64 

Eed  clay  lands  of  the  oak-uplands  region 50-65 

Eeference  table  of  reports  received 72 

Regions,  agricultural,  enumeration  of 12 

areas  of,  in  counties  (see  county  descriptions) .. 27-70 

614 


Remarks  on  cotton  production  in  the  state 

Rent  paid  for  land 

Report,  plam  of,  and  sources  of  information  for 

Reports  received  from  counties,  reference  table  of 

Rhododendron,  extensive  thickets  of 

Eicc,  acreage  and  production  of  (table) 

Richmond  county,  statistics  and  description  of 

Rives,  J.  P.,  reference  to  the  report  of 

Robeson  county,  analysis  of  marl  of 

statistics  and  description  of 

Robinson,  J.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 

Rockingham  county,  statistics  and  description  of 

Rotation  of  crops 

Rot  of  bolls,  occurrence  of,  and  haw  obviated 

Rowan-bounty,  statistics  and  description  of 

Rust  or  blight,  occurrence  of,  on  heavy  or  ill-drained  soils, 

in  what  seasons,  and  how  obviated 

Rutherford  county,  statistics- and  description  of 


Pag». 
21,22 

77 
iii 
72 
20 
5,  6 

48,49 
53 
22 
4'.) 
45 

61,62 
73 
76 


76 
511, 60 


2! 

46.47 
13 
16 

-15, 34 
41 
53 

13-15 

29-38 
13,21 

9 


8. 

Sampson  county,  analysis  of  marl  of 

statistics  and  description  of 

Sand-dunes  of  the  coast,  character  of 

Sandy  pine  barrens,  soils  and  timber  growth  of 

Savannas,  analyses  and  character  of  soils  of 13 

Scotland  Neck  lands,  the  tinest  in  the  state  for  cotton 

Scot*,  J.  W.,  description  by 

Sea-board  region,  area,  timber  growth,  soils,  and  general  de- 
scription of 

county  descr'  pt  ions  of 

industries  aud  cotton  production  of 

Section  from  state  line  at  French  Broad  water-gap  to  sea-level. 
Seed-cotton,  amount  of,  required  for  a  475-pound  bale  of  lint.         7." 

penned,  or  how  protected -75 

product  per  acre  (see  county  descriptions) 27-70 

required  for  a  bale  of  lint,  amount  of  (see  ab- 
stracts in  county  descriptions) 30-64 

Semi-swamps,  oak,  beech,  and  pine  flats 13,14 

Shaffer,  O.  W.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 51,  52 

Share  system,  cotton  farms   worked  on ;  effect  on  any  soil, 

and  reasons  in  favor  of 77 

Shedding,  occurrence  of,  and  how  obviated > 76 

Shipping,  baling,  and  ginning  cotton,  details  of 75 

commission  charges  for 78 

rates  of  (see  county  descriptions) 27-70 

Slade,  W.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 44 

Slate  belt,  description  of 11 

hills,  location  and  elevation  of 52,53 

Smith,  J.  N.,  mention  of  the  report  of 4l 

Smith,  R.  H.,  abstract  of  the  report  of 41 

Snowfall,  average  annual 11 

Soils  of  the  long-leaf  pine  region 15-18 

oak-uplands  region 18-20 

sea-board  region 12-15 

transuiontane  region 20 

tilling  qualities,  character,  and  productiveness  of: 

black-jack  or  post-oak 49,56,57 

slate  and  gravelly 54 

swamps  or  bottoms 32,  35,  42,  44,  54 

brown  uplands 35 

chincapiu  land 58 

■   chocolate-colored  49 

clay  land 34,36,39,46,52 

loam 41,  47,  58 

dark  loam 60 

fine  granitic 56.58,59 

gravelly  loam 41,  64 

gray  loam '. 30.31,45,48 

level  pine ^ .- 38 

light  laud \ 36,39 

mulatto > 51,  52.  54.  56,  57 


/ 


INDEX  TO  COTTON  PRODUCTION  IN  NORTH  CARO 


Page. 
Soils,  tilling  qualities,  character,  and  productiveness  of — Con- 
tinued. 

oak  and  hickory  uplands 38 

pine,  oak,  and  hickory  flats 37 

piny-woods 41-44,  46 

red  clay 60 

sandy.' 31,33,35,39-61 

loaru  of  creek  uplands 41 

ridge 31 

second  pocosou 46 

yellow  loam 48, 59 

Sore-shin  on  cotton-plants 74 

Space  between  ridges  in  cotton  planting 74 

Spartauburgk  county,  South  Carolina,  analyses  of  soil  and 

subsoil  of 19 

Stanley  county,  statistics  and  description  of 54,55 

Stokes  county,  statistics  and  description  of 62 

Storing  cotton,  charges  for 78 

Stowe,  J. ,  abstract  of  the  report  of 58, 59 

Subsoiling,  implements  used  iu 73 

Subsoils,  character  of  (see  abstracts  in  coumty  descriptions) . .  30-64 

Summary  of  answers  to  schedule  questions 73-78 

Supplies  raised  at  home  or  imported 77 

Surry  county,  statistics  and  description  of 63 

Swain  county,  statistics  and  description  of 69 

Sweet  potatoes,  acreage  and  production  of  (table) 5,6 

T. 

Table  showing  acreage  and  production  of  leading  crops 5, 6 

area,  population,  tilled  land,  and  cotton  pro- 
duction in  the  counties  3,4 

counties  ranking  highest  in  total  cotton  pro- 
duction and  product  per  acre 21 

population  and  cotton  production  in  regions  -  21 

Tables  of  analyses  of  soils  and  subsoils 14, 15, 17, 19, 24, 25 

Tabulated  results  of  the  enumeration 1-6 

Temperatures  of  the  state 10 

Terraces  along  the  rivers 18,  20 

Tertiary  formation,  material  of 11 

Thinning  out  cotton-plants 74 

Ties  used  in  baling  cotton 75 

Tillage,  improvements,  etc.,  details  of 73 

Tilled  lands,  acres  of  (table)  (see  also  details  of) 3,4 

percentage  of  area  of,  devoted  to  cotton  (table) .  3,  4 
Tilling  qualities  of  lands.     (See  under  Soils.) 

Timber-growth  of  the  long-leaf  pine  region 15-17 

oak-uplands  region 18 

sea-board  region 12 

sea  islands 13 

transmontane  region 20 

Time,  length  of,  before  cottonseed  comes  up 74 


Time  of  first  black  frost 

thinning  out  cotton-plants 

when  bolls  first  open    

cotton-picking  begins  and 
the  first  cotton-blooms  appeal 
Tobacco,  acreage  and  production  of  (table) 

Topographical  divisions  of  the  state 

Transmittal,  letters  of 

Transmontane  region,  county  descriptions  of. 

soils,  timber-growth,  and  surface  fea- 
tures of '. 

Transportation  companies,  conditions  imposed  by 

facilities  for  and  rates  of  (see  abstracts   in 

county  descriptions) 

Transylvania  county,  statistics  and  description  of 

Triassic  formation,  occurrence  and  material  of 11 , 

Tyrrell  county,  statistics  and  description  of 

V. 
Union  county,  statistics  and  description  of 


Valleys  of  the  transmontane  region . 
Value  of  land 

Varieties  of  cottonseed  preferred. .. 


W. 

Wages  paid  to  laborers 

system,  reasons  in  favor  of 

Wake  county,  analyses  of  soils  and  subsoils  of 

statistics  and  description  of 

Warren  county,  statistics  and  description  of 

Washing  of  soils,  and  how  prevented  (see  abstracts  in  county 
descriptions) 

Washington  county,  abstract  of  the  report  of 

Watauga  county,  statistics  and  description  of 

Wayne  county,  statistics  and  description  of 

Weed,  running  to,  of  the  cotton-plant.  (See  under  Soils,  char- 
acter and  tilling  qualities  of.) 

Weeds,  troublesome  on  any  soil.  (See  under  Soils,  character 
and  tilling  qualities  of.) 

Wharton ,  R.  AV. ,  abstract  of  the  report  of 

White  Oak  swamp,  description  of 

Wilkes  county,  statistics  and  description  of 

Wilson  county,  analysis  of  marl  of 

soil  of 

statistics  and  description  of 

Winds  prevalent  in  all  sections 

Woodland,  proportion  of  (see  county  descriptions) 


Yadkin  county,  statistics  and  description  of  . 
Yancey  county,  statistics  and  description  of  . 


30-64 
68 

51-53 
32 

54 

20 

77 
74 

77 
77 
19 
51, 52 
50 

30-64 

32,  33 

66 

45 


34 
36 
63 
22 
17 
44 
11 
27-70 

63 
67 


615 


\ 


